Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Location: Avenida De Los Arboles @ Big Sky Drive, Thousand Oaks, Ca.
Date & Time/ RB#: Jan. 22, 2010 @ 8:15 a.m. / 10-1725
Unit Responsible: Ventura County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue Unit

(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (W)itnesses Address Age
(V) Chidgey, Matthew Walter Thousand Oaks 40

The body of a missing Thousand Oaks resident was discovered Friday morning in a rain-swollen creek in Wildwood Regional Park.

Forty-year-old Matthew Chidgey had left his nearby residence to hike in the park on Wednesday afternoon. He told his roommate that he wanted to see the waterfalls within the canyon during the heavy runoff from the recent rainstorms.

Chidgey’s roommate declined to join him, and Chidgey had not been heard from since that time. Chidgey’s family reported him missing Thursday evening to sheriff’s deputies. A search was launched Thursday evening and continued Friday morning until his body was found. At least 40 members of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue teams as well as members of the Ventura County Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue team were involved in the search.

Chidgey’s family and friends, who also participated in the search, actually located his body. A sheriff’s department helicopter was utilized to recover Chidgey’s body, which was found at the bottom of a steep, rugged canyon.

Officials with the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency urge hikers and park visitors to wait until at least three days after a rainstorm before accessing the trails in the park. At the time of Chidgey’s disappearance, the trails in the area had already been closed by park officials and marked with warning signs.

In order to avoid a similar tragedy, park visitors should check the agency’s website at www.conejo-openspace.org for updates on trail conditions. Park visitors should always use caution around moving water, which can be a powerful force that is easily underestimated.

There was nothing about the nature of Chidgey’s disappearance that indicated any foul play occurred. The cause of death will be determined by the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office.