# Australian magician’s disappearance is “out of character.” **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 22, 2026, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092 "2026-06-22T09:51:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/1 "2026-06-22T09:51:32Z")
This seems like the setup for a TV show, but I do genuinely hope he’s found to be safe and it isn’t some stupid bit. > **[Police ‘seriously concerned’ as magician vanishes](https://7news.com.au/news/concern-grows-for-missing-gold-coast-magician-daniel-hidden-after-car-and-caravan-found-c-22450478?sfnsn=mo)** > > His website currently displays a chilling message about ‘disappearance’. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/2 "2026-06-22T10:36:42Z")
Update: they’ve called in the ADF, so I guess it isn’t a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/3 "2026-06-22T13:27:06Z")
Okay, someone _has_ to comment on this guy’s last name. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/4 "2026-06-22T13:30:25Z")
The note on the website means that this pretty much has to be something he planned. It may or may not be a sane plan. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/5 "2026-06-22T13:35:10Z")
It’s _obviously_ a publicity stunt. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/6 "2026-06-22T13:54:53Z")
“Your first husband also disappeared.” “But that was his job. He was an illusionist.” “But he never reappeared!” “He wasn’t a very good illusionist.” ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/7 "2026-06-22T14:18:23Z")
Sounds like a publicity stunt to me. Or maybe he’s pulling a David Blaine, where the “disappearance” is itself the trick, like encasing one’s self in ice or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/8 "2026-06-22T14:20:48Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > It’s _obviously_ a publicity stunt. The thread title seemed to strongly imply he vanished as part of his _act_, but nobody could find him after the show (/Misinterpreted Thread Titles), and that he broke his usual MO in doing so (interviewed stagehand: “That wasn’t in the script he gave me!”) even before he couldn’t be found afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/9 "2026-06-22T16:48:52Z")
Here’s a newer article: > **[‘He is still alive’: Family’s urgent appeal for missing magician](https://7news.com.au/news/family-of-missing-magician-daniel-hidden-plead-as-search-expands-in-remote-gold-coast-bushland-c-22468005.amp)** > > The experienced hiker vanished from a place so important to him he tattooed its coordinates on his fingers. What the original article didn’t mention is that his vehicle was found near a really remote wilderness area. It’s a place he visits frequently. It could be very difficult to find him just because of the terrain. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/10 "2026-06-22T17:23:52Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Okay, someone _has_ to comment on this guy’s last name. I heard about this story on the nominative determinism subreddit. And somebody best me to commenting with the _Clue_ bit between Wadsworth and Mrs. White about her first husband. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/11 "2026-06-22T17:49:18Z")
Was he born with that name, or did he change it to that? Some stage names are just “doing business as”, but some are official name changes. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/12 "2026-06-22T21:07:14Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was he born with that name, or did he change it to that? The best that I can determine is that it is his actual, legal surname. Not a stage name. But I’m pretty sure he wasn’t born with it. If you read the article that I previously posted: > Hidden’s brother, Ilya Jamshidi, said the family initially believed the he had simply embarked on another solo adventure. I doubt that he was born with the name Daniel Hidden, while his brother’s name is Ilya Jamshidi. That is a Persian surname from what I can tell. I noticed that his brother’s last name ends in “hidi”, which might have inspired the name “Hidden”. Or maybe it’s a coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/13 "2026-06-26T14:47:54Z")
They have found his body and don’t suspect foul play. [https://people.com/magician-daniel-hidden-found-dead-after-intensive-10-day-search-12005706](https://people.com/magician-daniel-hidden-found-dead-after-intensive-10-day-search-12005706) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/14 "2026-06-26T14:53:23Z")
“Ta-da!” ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/15 "2026-06-26T15:14:06Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I noticed that his brother’s last name ends in “hidi”, which might have inspired the name “Hidden”. Or maybe it’s a coincidence. His brother’s last name ends in “shidi”, which matches his condition. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/16 "2026-06-26T15:22:28Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > They have found his body and don’t suspect foul play. There aren’t very many ways for a 26-year-old to die that don’t involve foul play. Unless it looks like a suicide, and they’re not classing that as “foul”? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/17 "2026-06-26T16:08:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There aren’t very many ways for a 26-year-old to die that don’t involve foul play. There are plenty of ways to die in the wilderness without foul play. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/18 "2026-06-26T16:12:52Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > There are plenty of ways to die in the wilderness without foul play. Exactly. This was reportedly a very remote area of Australia. And the man was described as seeking out difficult areas to “adventure” in, per the article I originally linked to. > Jamshidi said his brother was an experienced adventurer who deliberately sought out difficult terrain away from established walking tracks. > > “He doesn’t like sticking to marked tracks,” he said. > > “He desires the hardship in unexplored places. > > Asked where volunteers should focus their attention, Jamshidi urged people to think beyond obvious routes. > > “If it seems dangerous or exciting, that’s most likely where he would be.” That all reads to me like someone who could have easily put himself in danger. It certainly doesn’t need to be a case where he committed suicide or was murdered. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/19 "2026-06-26T16:27:41Z")
The stories say that he turned off his phone… Did he keep it with him or leave it in his vehicle? And if he had it with him, was he in a location where the phone could have had any signal? Most natural backcountry deaths would be slow enough that he’d have had time to call for help, and I can’t imagine any reason why, once he turned off the phone, he’d leave it behind. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092/20 "2026-06-26T16:29:44Z")
[Off-topic, but I got an Amazon popup reading this article. I go to close it, and it then gives me a captcha?! A ad with a captcha, sure sign of the looming apocalypse…] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-magician-s-disappearance-is-out-of-character/1031092.md?page=2)