YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has responded to the release of a note from Austin King, a 22-year-old hiker who went missing on Sept. 17 after summiting Eagle Peak.
King’s father released the note to Cowboy State Daily on Friday, Oct. 11, the contents of which describe both King’s excitement over his successful summit and his challenges with the cold and fog.
“I can’t feel my fingers and my glasses are so fogged from the ruthless weather of the mountains…I free soloed too many cliffs to get here and walked up to the peak from the connecting peak AKA not the right path,” King wrote in the note.
A statement provided to Buckrail from the YNP Public Affairs Office in response to the note confirms the Park has searched over 3,000 miles by air and ground to date, including a recent mission earlier this week.
“We deeply sympathize with Austin’s family and their desire to continue searching for him,” YNP Superintendent Cam Sholly says in the statement.
According to Sholly, YNP is supporting requests to continue conducting additional search efforts, but a recent request to use a contracted helicopter to insert additional searchers into the Park must meet the capacity to fly at high mountainous altitudes with a pilot experienced in flying and landing in mountainous terrain.
With the Park’s helicopter gone and limited air support resources capable of conducting high mountain rescues, Sholly says YNP needs to continue to evaluate this request.
“The last thing anyone would want is a helicopter crash and additional fatalities or injuries,” Sholly says.
YNP also tells Buckrail that, at this time, the park has limited resources to respond to Eagle Peak if something goes wrong. The Park is monitoring the weather closely, as a forecasted weather front is likely coming in on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
Buckrail will continue to update this story as additional information becomes available.
