FREMONT COUNTY, Wyo. — The 76-year-old California man who was reported missing in Wind River mountains on Sept. 2 has not been located yet, according to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO).
Steven Allen Keller became separated from his hiking group “just a short distance” from their campsite near Steamboat Lake on the Wind River Indian Reservation, according to FCSO. Keller reportedly left on a solo day hike without a backpack. After several hours of looking for Keller, his party issued an SOS call from a satellite communication device.
The next morning, helicopters belonging to the Wyoming National Guard and Tip Top Search and Rescue transported teams into the area and performed an aerial search.
Tribal Game and Fish officials also entered the area to search for Keller on Monday, Sept. 4. Monday’s aerial search was impeded by severe weather. Aerial and ground searches have continued as weather permits.
“The remoteness of the area, the high elevation and the extremely rugged terrain have made searching extremely difficult and there has been no sign of the missing man,” FCSO said in a press release.
According to a Facebook post by Keller’s niece, “Steve is a skilled outdoorsman who has backpacked this area of the Wind River Range dozens of times. The area he went missing near Steamboat Lake is densely forested and can be disorienting.”
As search efforts continue, FCSO asks anyone with information to contact them, or contact the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribal Game and Fish Office.
“The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Steven Keller as they face this trying time with many unknowns,” the release said.
