Yellowstone National Park has announced that the search for Austin King, missing in the Eagle Peak area, is transitioning from a rescue to a recovery effort. After 11 days of intensive searching, involving over 100 personnel, helicopters, drones, search dogs, and trackers, no definitive clues have been found.
King, an employee of Xanterra Parks and Resorts, went missing after he failed to arrive for a scheduled boat pickup at Yellowstone Lake’s Southeast Arm on Sept. 20. He had planned a 7-day solo backcountry trip, aiming to summit Eagle Peak, the highest point in the park.
The search teams have covered more than 3,225 miles by air and ground, in elevations ranging from 11,350 feet to 8,400 feet, but have not found any signs of King. Limited search efforts will continue as conditions permit, though the operation will be scaled back.
Superintendent Cam Sholly expressed his sympathies to King’s family, friends, and colleagues, acknowledging the challenging and remote terrain involved in the search. No further updates are expected unless there are significant developments.
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