YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Yellowstone National Park (YNP) announced on Sunday, Sept. 22, that one of its concession employees has gone missing, and the park is seeking the public’s help in searching for him.
Austin King, a 22-year-old male, was last heard from on Tuesday, Sept. 17 when he contacted his family from the summit of Eagle Peak, located in the southeast corner of the park. He was reported overdue from his seven-day backcountry trip when he didn’t arrive for his boat pickup near Yellowstone Lake’s southeast arm on Friday, Sept. 20. YNP said that King reported fog, rain, sleet, hail and windy conditions from the summit.
Search and rescue efforts began on Saturday, Sept. 21. YNP said search and rescue teams from YNP, Grand Teton National Park, Park County and Teton County are actively looking for King around Eagle Peak, Eagle Pass Mountain Creek Trail and Eagle Creek Trailhead in Shoshone National Forest. Aerial reconnaissance and ground search operations were carried out near Eagle Peak and Yellowstone Lake.
“Rescuers discovered King’s camp and personal effects Saturday evening in the upper Howell Creek area,” YNP’s announcement said.
On Sunday, more than 20 ground searchers, two helicopters, unmanned air systems and a search dog team focused on the Eagle Peak area.
YNP said park users in the backcountry near Eagle Peak might have spotted King beginning on Saturday, Sept. 14. The park lists his identifying features as 6’ in height, weight 160 lbs, brown hair and hazel eyes, and shared that he was wearing glasses, a black sweatshirt and gray pants.   Â
Anyone with information on King’s whereabouts should contact the Yellowstone Interagency Communications Center at (307) 344 -2643.Â
YNP said it will provide more information as it becomes available.Â
