Search Efforts Continue for Missing Man in Yellowstone National Park

The search and rescue for Austin King is on its seventh day. Search crews focus efforts in Eagle Peak area of Yellowstone National Park.

King is a 22-year-old male who worked the consessions at the Park. He was last heard from on Tuesday, Sept. 17, when he called friends and family from the summit of Eagle Peak in the park's remote southeast corner.

He was reported overdue to the Yellowstone Interagency Communications Center when he failed to arrive for his boat pickup near Yellowstone Lake’s Southeast Arm on Friday afternoon, Sept. 20, after a planned 7-day backcountry trip to summit Eagle Peak.

To date, 96 personnel, two helicopters, a search dog team, ground teams with spotting scopes, and a drone have looked for King in this high-elevation, expansive and hazardous area.

Eagle Peak, at 11,372 feet, is the highest point in Yellowstone National Park. Teams will continue to search from the peak to about 8,000 feet in various drainages and ridgetops surrounding the peak.

On Thursday, Sept. 26, two helicopters, one belonging to Yellowstone National Park and the other to Teton County, Wyoming, searched extensively throughout the area.

Yellowstone staff have followed up on cellular activity by King that occurred the evening of Sept. 17 on Eagle Peak, the night King summited the peak. Staff are working with cellular forensics experts to attempt to learn more from this data.

Yellowstone continues to partner with Grand Teton National Park, Park County, Wyoming, and Teton County, Wyoming, to look for King. Multiple crews will continue searching for the next several days as conditions warrant.

Anyone traveling in the backcountry near Eagle Peak since Sept.14 may have seen King.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should contact the Yellowstone Interagency Communications Center at (307) 344-2643.

The park will provide more information when it is available.