COOS COUNTY — They wandered in the dark for hours, waiting for something — a movement, a knock, a voice.

Only the occasional flash of a camera and persistent questions broke the oppressive darkness in the basement of the Tioga Hotel.

“Is there anyone here with us tonight? Can you tell us your name?” paranormal investigator Daryl Retallick seemed to chant Thursday night.

The owner of the Tioga invited Paranormal Studies and Investigations of Oregon, a ghost-hunting group based in Coos Bay, to check out the hotel following reports of abnormal activity in the building. That included footsteps, shadows and strange voices.

“I’ve heard ghost stories about this place since I was 10 years old,” said Donna Stewart, a founding member of P.S.I.

But sometimes the stories are just that. Tall tales to frighten children, fantastic explanations for the unexplained, superstition. Then again, you also might have a ghost on your hands.

So who do you call?

P.S.I.

Don’t be mistaken. P.S.I. members aren’t Ghost Busters. Their approach is scientific. Armed with an alphabet soup of devices from video cameras to EVPs — electronic voice phenomena recorders — and a device to track electromagnetic pulse, the group works to debunk reports of spirits and to gain tangible evidence of the paranormal when reasonable explanations fall short.

“We have to have documented evidence — either video or audio — before concluding that it is or is not paranormal activity. We never base our conclusions on personal experiences,” Schier said. “I could have a spirit manifest right in front of me, but without corroborating evidence it would be not considered proof, just because we can’t show (it) to the rest of the world.”

The service they provide is free — in part to help clients and to encourage them to open their doors, satisfying P.S.I.’s insatiable thirst to explain the unexplained.

“I do believe that there is something beyond this and I do believe that they can communicate. I am a firm believer in that,” Stewart said. “I don’t think that it’s cut and dry — you’re born, you live, you die. I think there’s more than that.

“When someone knows what’s going on, that fear tends to dissipate.”

Investigations

There are about 10 people involved in P.S.I., including two alternates, who range in age from 18 to 52.

In the past 30 days, the investigators have visited the Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery, Qualman Oyster Farms and the Tioga to debunk claims of spirits and bumps in the night.

At each hunt, P.S.I. members begin their investigation by setting up video cameras, taking base readings of temperature, checking for existing EMPs and walking through the area in search of other factors that could contribute to a reasonable explanation. Prior to an investigation, Schier said they try to get a tour with the owner of the property so they will know where strange activity is taking place.

“Once we’ve got that much done, we turn the lights out and start the investigation,” Schier said.

Then, small groups of investigators spread out. One or two watch a part of the investigation via a closed-circuit feed on a television screen, while others walk the site, taking photos.

 “Is there anyone here with us? Can you give us some sort of sign?” they’ll call, or “Can you move something? Can you touch one of us?”

Following each hunt, P.S.I. members pick through the evidence. They take note of any personal experiences.

During a recent visit to Sunset on Sept. 18, investigators came back with images of a strange mist surrounding Schier inside the mausoleum, a video of a dark shadow moving across a doorway and recorded EVPs of men’s voices calling the names Jonathon and Rick. Schier explained that the mist was especially strange because the mausoleum wasn’t cold enough for her to see her breath and no one was smoking.

“There should be no reason for a localized mist like we caught,” Schier said. “As far as Sunset Memorial goes, we could safely say there is paranormal activity there.”

On Oct. 2, the group went out to Qualman Oyster Farms, and spent several hours walking the floor of its main facility in Charleston. They were there to investigate a claim that items had moved from one area of the building to another. At first, employees thought Qualman’s had been broken into, but there was no sign of forced entry, Retallick explained.

“We’re going to try to explain what it is and we’re going to pretty much rule out anything possible,” Retallick said.

Inside Qualman’s, already dark and smelling of brine, investigators followed the typical procedure, sometimes chasing down shadows or a strange noise. Every few minutes a refrigeration system would screech loudly to life.

Following the investigation, they said the setup of the warehouse probably had a lot more to do with the activity than ghosts.

“On the voice recorders we caught one item, which could have been a voice, but there was simply too much background noise with machinery and ice machine to definitively state it was paranormal. As for video, we caught nothing unusual that could not be explained,” Schier wrote in a report.

Although they caught a few images of orbs — a controversial formation of energy that could simply be dust or moisture — they were not considered evidence enough of a poltergeist.

Stewart said they will leave the case open. She added that not every investigation is fruitful the first time around.

“My belief is that spirits don’t perform on demand. It’s like dragging someone out onto a stage. They’re not going to do it if they don’t want to do it,” she said.

Following the most recent investigation through the dusty bowels of the Tioga, Stewart said P.S.I. evidence was inconclusive.

Dreams of the dead

 Schier’s own desire to ghost hunt began as a child when she saw an apparition standing near her bed.

“My grandmother ... said I was seeing things because the elastic in my underwear was too tight,” said Schier, 45.

Schier said she started P.S.I. with Stewart and investigator Jessica Foster in January. These days, she and P.S.I. members continue to be fascinated with the possibility of spirits.

“The bottom line is  ... there’s no conclusive evidence. It’s all a matter of theory,” she said. “Now that we’ve done some formal investigations the evidence that we have found just furthers my belief.”

Stewart, 46, said that while she gets startled sometimes, she’s not afraid of ghosts.

“I’ve never seen anything in the news with anybody murdered by a ghost. People are much more dangerous,” Stewart said.

This is a message she wants to get across to clients and the public-at-large.

“I think what we would like out of all of this is to educate people that every bump is not paranormal, that there are natural explanations, and that anyone in the world can get a picture full of dust orbs,” she said. “If there is paranormal activity, rarely are you going to find something that is demonic or that is going to hurt you. I fully belief that the spiritual world and the physical world can co-exist.”