After 11 days of searching, Yellowstone National Park officials say they are scaling back efforts to locate Austin King in the vicinity of Eagle Peak and transition from a rescue to recovery.
To date, more than 100 personnel including two helicopters, search dog teams, ground teams with spotting scopes, trackers, and a drone have searched more than 3,225 miles by air and ground at elevations ranging from 11,350 feet to 8,400 feet. Unfortunately, they have not found any definitive clues as to King’s current whereabouts.
View a map that shows the extensive air and ground search efforts to date.
King, an employee of Xanterra Parks and Resorts, a private business authorized to operate in Yellowstone, failed to arrive for his boat pickup near Yellowstone Lake’s Southeast Arm on the afternoon of Sept. 20, after his planned 7-day solo backcountry trip to summit Eagle Peak, the highest point in Yellowstone National Park.
Limited search efforts will continue into the foreseeable future as conditions warrant.
“Despite significant search efforts over the past week and a half, we have not been able to locate Austin,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly. “Although we will continue to hope for the best, I want to extend my deepest sympathies to Austin’s family, friends and colleagues. I also want to thank the teams from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, and Park and Teton counties, Wyoming, who have all worked tirelessly to find Austin in some of the most difficult and remote terrain in Yellowstone.”
Park officials say they do not expect to provide further updates unless a notable change occurs.
