Martin Sheffield is a character from the rich history of Patagonia. Much of his life in the southern hemisphere is filled with myth and folklore. His story begins in 1889 when he left the United States for Chile. He quickly found his way to El Bolsón, where he boasted that he was a sheriff chasing the famous Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It was never established whether he was an actual sheriff or had merely bought the Silver Star. One thing was for sure though, he was a master at telling stories, an excellent comic and always a delight at social gatherings.
He eventually fell in love with a native, María Ancapichun. They had twelve children together. It was with the youngest of these children, Juana, that he claimed to have seen the plesiosaur in Laguna Epuyén. Although his story was believed by many and even brought out the Buenos Aires head of zoology, there were never any confirmed reports that the long lost cousin of the Loch Ness Monster truly did exist in the lakes of Patagonia. Juana, who still lives today, swears that she saw the legendary beast of Laguna Epuyén.