Rescuers in Yellowstone National Park have been searching for Austin King, a park concession worker who failed to check in at the end of a personal trip. King, 22, was supposed to be picked up by a boat on Friday at Yellowstone Lake’s Southeast Arm after a weeklong trek in and around Eagle Peak. Despite more than 20 searchers on the ground, two helicopter-based crews, drones, and a canine search team, King has not been located yet. King spoke to a ranger on Sept. 16, telling them he planned to climb Eagle Peak the next day. He last spoke to a relative on Tuesday, describing challenging weather conditions on the summit.
While on the summit, King mentioned fog, rain, sleet, hail, and windy conditions. The Tuesday phone call was the last anyone heard from him before he failed to show up for a boat ride on Friday. Search crews found King’s encampment and personal items in the upper Howell Creek area on Saturday, but there is no sign of a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado pickup associated with him. The search efforts have involved crews from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, as well as from Park and Teton counties in Wyoming. Aerial and ground searches have focused on the Yellowstone Lake area and Eagle Peak.
King began his trek on Sept. 14 after being dropped off by a boat at Terrace Point on Yellowstone Lake. The park has a shuttle boat service that provides backcountry access to select sites on the lake for overnight hiking and camping. Yellowstone National Park Lodges manages lodging in the park and is involved in the search efforts. Temperatures in the park have been cold, with lows in the high 20s and daytime highs struggling to reach 60 degrees. King is described as 6 feet tall, 160 pounds, with hazel eyes, and was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, glasses, and gray pants. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Yellowstone Interagency Communications Center.
The search for King has been ongoing since he failed to check in on Friday. Despite the challenging weather conditions on Eagle Peak’s summit, search crews have been unable to locate him. The park service has utilized helicopters, drones, and canine search teams in the efforts to find King. No trace of his Chevrolet Silverado pickup has been found, but his encampment and personal items were discovered in the upper Howell Creek area.
The search has involved multiple crews from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, as well as from Park and Teton counties in Wyoming. Focus has been on the Yellowstone Lake area and Eagle Peak, which are popular sites in the park. King’s trek began on Sept. 14 and he was dropped off at Terrace Point on Yellowstone Lake. The shuttle boat service in the park provides access to backcountry sites for overnight camping. The park service and Yellowstone National Park Lodges are working together on the search efforts. Temperatures in the park have been cold, with lows in the high 20s and daytime highs struggling to reach 60 degrees.
King’s physical description and the clothing he was last seen in have been shared to aid in the search efforts. He has hazel eyes, is 6 feet tall, and weighs 160 pounds. He was wearing a black sweatshirt, glasses, and gray pants when he was last heard from on Tuesday. Anyone with information about King’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Yellowstone Interagency Communications Center at 307-344-2643. The search for King continues as rescuers work tirelessly to locate the missing park concession worker.
