UPDATE, ONGOING STORY: According to a post by Chaffee County Sheriff, Andy Rohrich late this afternoon, although the hikers have not yet been found, all possible resources are being employed to help find the Colorado Mountain College students who went missing this weekend near Ice Mountain: a collective from Chaffee County North and South Search and Rescue, Fremont County Search and Rescue, Teller County Search and Rescue, Arapahoe County Search and Rescue. and Lake County Search and Rescue.
Gunnison County Search and Rescue is assisting on the other side of the mountain range in the event Kaden and Jackson summited and went back over the other side where there may be less snow. Flight for Life and Canon City Helitac are assisting with helicopter flights. Drone teams are also hard at work.
Canines and handlers were flown into the location of the tent including Chaffee County’s own, “Arch.” They will use fresh scent articles found in the tent to assist in the search. The search has shifted to the West Apostle Mountain near Ice Mountain, making more sense as a destination based on where their tent was found. Friends of one of the missing hikers camped with them in the same location in the past when West Apostle was the destination.
After a dorm search it was also discovered that the hikers’ climbing equipment was missing, indicating that they had prepared for a technical climb. It is believed that Jackson was wearing an avalanche beacon, so Flight for Life is utilizing their beacon technology in hopes to find a signal. Some snow in the area is melting, which could be helpful by uncovering other clues.
Additionally detectives are working on technology search warrants in hopes of finding data from their cellular phones to find clues regarding plans they may have documented.
The Sheriff ended his post by thanking all the teams involved in the search and commending the preparedness of the hikers after learning more about them, “We know that they are very strong and capable of enduring tough conditions. Hope is not lost by family and friends, nor us,” he said.
Photo courtesy Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office
