I think maybe he did. Of course, he could've gotten snagged at the top of a 100ft pine tree and died of exposure in those woods. They are very thick and the weather in November is bitterly cold at night. He would have wanted to have had an accomplice waiting on the ground nearby to collect him. The Lewis River region is truly beautiful, but I wouldn't want to be running around in those forests at night, in winter without any gear.
There's a little bar nearby, a mile or two out of Ariel where he's alleged to have jumped. The roof is adorned with parachutes and there's lots of memorabilia, mostly newspaper clippings, photos and $20 bills, purporting to be his loot. They all have a good laugh about it.
The beer is frosty and once a week they do $1 Tacos...