Brian Goodwin was the son of Ned Goodwin is an important character to Firewatch.
History[ | ]
Brian Goodwin was the son of Ned Goodwin. Against Forest Service regulation, he had lived with his father at Lookout Station a few years before Henry's arrival. Delilah knew of this, but was fond of Brian and chose not to contact the Forest Service.
He had his own hiding spot just north of Cave 452 where many of his personal possessions can be found. He appears to have an interest in science, as he left behind a notebook detailing a "HAM" radio, which directs radio waves at meteors to send long-distance radio frequencies thousands of miles away.
Often, Ned would force Brian to engage in hiking activities against his will. Brian hated this as he was highly inexperienced with this. Unfortunately, this would inevitably be his downfall. Sometime in 1987 Ned took his son into Cave 452 to climb a large rockwall. However, an inexperienced Brian didn't hammer his piton into the rock properly, and when he rappelled from the cliff, the pinion came out, and he fell down to his untimely death. Ned, shocked by this, feared that if he reported the accident he would be convicted of criminal negligence, for having Brian at the fire watch against policy. Because of this, he locked up the cave and hid the key, and subsequently fled into the forest to set up a makeshift bunker. He would hide there for 3 years until Henry arrived.
In 1989 Henry arrived, and eventually discovered Cave 452. After breaking into it, he glances down and sees what looks like a red shoe down at the bottom. Soon after he discovers, to his horror, Brian's desiccated corpse up close, and reports it to Delilah, who blames herself for his death. It is implied an investigation is carried out shortly after the events of the game, inquiring about Brian's death.