Obviously a jump that puts him near Tomahawk Island is problematic considering the pressure bump. Also, I do not believe DBC could see the ground when he jumped therefore it seems unlikely that he could plan much of anything regarding the eventual LZ.
I don't see any evidence of the jump being close to the river..
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. With that said, I'll fully admit that there is no smoking gun or concrete evidence that puts Cooper near the river.
However, I think there is strong circumstantial evidence that suggests it's possible. I hope Bill can clear some things up in that regard too.
I'll try to compile the evidence I have and post it here.
I've read the "absence of evidence is not evidence" line before. I disagree. It can be construed as circumstantial in many cases.
Here's why.
First, in the case of identifying the wrong LZ, you will always find nothing. Therefore, not finding anything looks exactly like what one would expect if they're searching in the wrong area.
Second, the fact that the area has been walked over for decades and nothing has been found is problematic. For example, if the FBI theory was that DBC jumped over downtown Portland, and after 50 years not a shred of evidence had been found, I think it would be reasonable to deduce that the theory is wrong.
In my opinion, both of the above points are applicable in this case as it pertains to the FBI Flight Path and LZ.
On a separate issue...what is your working theory here? Is it that DBC jumped and landed near the Columbia River? Near PDX?
