Found Deceased CO - Ian O'Brien 28, from AZ, Epilepsy, reached Hesperus Mtn summit, experienced in survival, San Juan Mtns, 24 Jun 2023

[Unalienable Rights]

Hiker with ‘Extensive Background in Survival’ Disappears After Summiting Colorado Mountain

Ian O'Brien, 28, was last seen by a group of hikers on Sunday and is likely without his epilepsy medicine, family members say

people.com

The family of a hiker who has been missing in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains for days says their loved one has epilepsy and may be without his medication.

Ian O’Brien, 28, was last heard from after summiting Hesperus Mountain, northeast of Durango, at about 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, according to Fox affiliate KDVR-TV.

The experienced outdoorsman, who lives in Page, Ariz., texted his girlfriend from the summit, family members said.

But shortly afterwards, the family lost contact with him, despite O’Brien having a “fully charged phone” and a Garmin inReach satellite device, they told the news station.

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By Saturday night, the family had filed a missing persons report with the Cortez Police Department, the station reported.

Since then, multiple search agencies have been involved in locating O’Brien, Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin told the Arizona Republic.

"The U.S. Air Force Blackhawk helicopter has been searching since that time as well as Division of Fire aircraft, and a second helicopter team is en route," Nowlin told the newspaper. "Other technical equipment is also being used and the LaPlata SAR Team is also assisting us."

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Twelve agencies are currently searching for O’Brien, The Journal reported.

More at link.

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Search for missing hiker in La Plata Mountains carries on with community help

Residents and businesses have been contributing to the search for 28-year-old Ian O’Brien, who went missing Saturday while hiking in the La Plata Mountains. O’Brien was camping with partner Beth Hens...

www.durangoherald.com

Residents and businesses have been contributing to the search for 28-year-old Ian O’Brien, who went missing Saturday while hiking in the La Plata Mountains.

O’Brien was camping with partner Beth Henshaw near the upper end of Echo Basin along Forest Service Road 566. He went hiking about 2 p.m. Saturday to Hesperus Peak and never returned.

Henshaw said about 75 people were camping at Lucy Halls Park to help find O’Brien. That included 15 mountaineer guides from Prescott College, where O’Brien attended school. She said there has been 30 to 55 volunteers who have been searching on foot since Saturday.

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O’Brien is an experienced hiker who has led multiple backpacking expeditions while working with Open Sky Wilderness Therapy, Henshaw said.

He had lived in Southwest Colorado for about five years before recently moving to Page, Arizona, and has summited Hesperus Peak on multiple occasions.

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Montezuma County Sheriff Steven Nowlin said search and rescue teams had not found any leads as of 2 p.m. Wednesday. He said teams will continue to search throughout the night.

O’Brien was reportedly wearing a gray tank top, black shorts, tennis shoes and possibly had a long-sleeve hiking shirt.

Henshaw said family, friends, and search and rescue members looked all night Saturday. They found shoe tracks that resembled O’Brien’s sneakers on Owens Basin Trail and West Mancos Trail and lost the prints at a river crossing on the West Mancos Trail at 7 a.m. Sunday.

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Both Henshaw and O’Brien’s sister, Molly O’Brien, were told by La Plata County Search and Rescue that hikers thought they had spotted O’Brien on Sunday based on what the hiker was wearing, but it was later confirmed the hiker did not match O’Brien’s stature and did not have the same tattoos.

Molly O’Brien said La Plata County Search and Rescue told her that her brother was likely no longer in La Plata Canyon and the search was shifting toward the Hesperus Peak area Wednesday.

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Molly expressed that her brother had extensive outdoor experience and that if there wasn’t a medical concern he likely would have made his way back to the campsite.

“He is always outside and has spent more nights outside than in a bed in his life. And that's how he likes it,” she said.

More at link.

 

[azure]

Very interesting. This is the first missing hiker case I've followed where the missing person has a satellite device. I'm not completely familiar with how these devices work. Does anyone know about the Garmin InReach device?

 

[tsukemono]

I use a Garmin inreach device. It must be manually activated in order to track and share his location. I generally carry mine turned off or in stand by (not tracking). A button must be uncovered and pressed in order to trigger the SOS function. Some devices enable you to have a text conversation with SAR as they dispatch to your location.

I'm personally confused as to whether he had any gear (like a backpack, water or even a wallet).

As a local, the mountain he summitted is not one suited for a quick trail run in sneakers, especially with the spring snowpack still melting. That trail crosses the river several times and the water levels are unusually high.

Very interesting. This is the first missing hiker case I've followed where the missing person has a satellite device. I'm not completely familiar with how these devices work. Does anyone know about the Garmin InReach device?

 

[GraceG]

It seems like I've read a lot of reports on missing hikers (many found thank goodness) wearing sneakers. Maybe it's more popular now due to the technological gains in such footwear since I actively hiked but I would think it would be too easy to have an injury due to the lack of ankle support. With his experience, I think he'd be savvy on such things, and the terrain, snowpack melt, etc would be more of a concern. I hope he's found soon.

 

[Howl]

This is so concerning and a bit confusing. He and his partner were camping along FS Rd 566. This road is accessed from Mancos. However,

Molly O’Brien said La Plata County Search and Rescue told her that her brother was likely no longer in La Plata Canyon and the search was shifting toward the Hesperus Peak area Wednesday.

So I'm confused about where he began his hike -- from the Mancos side or the La Plata Canyon side?
He called his GF from the summit of Hesperus Peak, so he could have paired his cell phone to his InReach PLB. Alternately, high peaks can have line of sight to cell phone repeaters/towers, so it is possible he just made a regular cell phone call.
Definitely not a good sign that he was unable to trigger his PLB.

Re: footwear A lot of people hike in what are called approach shoes or trail running shoes for mountain hiking and even summiting.

Gorgeous photo of the La Platas showing Hesperus Peak. Based on the intense colors of the aspens, this would have been after an October snow fall in the mountains.

 

[PommyMommy]

JUN 27, 2023

Family of Arizona hiker who went missing in Colorado seeks community's help in finding him

Ian O'Brien, 28, a resident of Page has not returned after he went for a hike by himself at La Plata Mountains in Colorado on Saturday.

www.azcentral.com

[...]

"The search for my brother has been going on for over three days," Rodriguez said. "We're really encouraging experienced hikers that know the area well to go and help bring resources."

According to Sheriff Steve Nowlin with Montezuma County Sheriff's Office, O'Brien made it to Hesperus Mountain peak about four and a half hours after he hit the road. He took a photograph of the summit and shared it around 6:30 p.m. on social media, Nowlin said.

[...]

Nowlin also said the search is losing resources because of nearby wildfires that need assistance from fire crews and other rescue resources.

[...]

Rodriguez said O'Brien and his girlfriend were up in Durango, Colorado, visiting friends and enjoying a long weekend in one of their favorite places, and O'Brien decided to go for a hike at one of his favorite spots. Normally, it would be completely safe for him to do the trail by himself, Rodriguez said.

[...]

O'Brien has had epilepsy since he was in college, but it is controlled with medication, and he has been on several hikes before without having any seizures, Rodriguez said.

"He's an extensive, experienced outdoor hiker and knows the area extremely well," she said. "He went out on a hike by himself at a reasonable time, to a hike he'd done before."

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

JUN 28, 2023

Man missing in Colorado mountains, may be "wary of public" | OutThere Colorado

According to La Plata County Search and Rescue, a 28-year-old male trail runner has gone missing in the mountains near Durango.

denvergazette.com

A press release on the matter from local search and rescue notes that O'Brien is in need of medication and may be "wary of public."

Search for missing hiker in La Plata Mountains carries on with community help

Residents and businesses have been contributing to the search for 28-year-old Ian O’Brien, who went missing Saturday while hiking in the La Plata Mountains. O’Brien was camping with partner Beth Hens...

www.durangoherald.com

[...]

Henshaw said about 75 people were camping at Lucy Halls Park to help find O’Brien. That included 15 mountaineer guides from Prescott College, where O’Brien attended school. She said there has been 30 to 55 volunteers who have been searching on foot since Saturday.

[...]

Henshaw’s main concern is that he may have had a seizure and become unaware of his whereabouts. O’Brien has epilepsy and will have seizures on a consistent basis. She said the seizures can be brought on by overexertion, mental stress or lack of food or sleep.

“I feel pretty confident that he had a seizure on his way down from the mountain because he takes his medication at eight o'clock,” Henshaw said.

She said he likely missed that time and that he has had seizures within 30 minutes of missing his medicine. He was also summiting a mountain with an elevation of over 13,000 feet after living at around 4,000 feet in Page, which could have caused fatigue.

“The fact that he's doing all these strenuous activities close to the medication window time, it's very likely that he had a seizure and lost contact with his communication devices,” she said.

In previous experiences with O’Brien’s seizures, Henshaw said he will enter a postictal state that will last anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes, during which time he may lose memory of what happened.

[...]

Henshaw said family, friends, and search and rescue members looked all night Saturday. They found shoe tracks that resembled O’Brien’s sneakers on Owens Basin Trail and West Mancos Trail and lost the prints at a river crossing on the West Mancos Trail at 7 a.m. Sunday.

[...]

 

[Howl]

Ian O'Brien lived in the area for quite a few years and had only recently moved to Page, AZ.

Keep in mind that as you get above tree line on the way to summit Hesperus Peak, it's all scree/talus and very steep. There isn't a completely well defined "path" with solid footing.

I'm really interested in knowing if he began his climb at the Sharkstooth Trailhead or from the La Plata Canyon side. From this description, he would have used the Sharkstooth Trailhead, or at least began on the West Mancos side.

Henshaw said family, friends, and search and rescue members looked all night Saturday. They found shoe tracks that resembled O’Brien’s sneakers on Owens Basin Trail and West Mancos Trail and lost the prints at a river crossing on the West Mancos Trail at 7 a.m. Sunday.

I'm confused, because in a later statement, the sheriff's office indicated they were looking on the La Plata Canyon side of Hesperus Peak.

AllTrails.com has a description of the hike from the Sharkstooth Trailhead to Hesperus Peak. This would be on the West Mancos side of Hesperus Peak. Nighttime lows are likely in the high 30s or 40s F.

To give you some idea of the difficulty and conditions:

"Beginning from the Sharkstooth TH, you may find you have to park further down the forest road depending on conditions and vehicle choice (high clearance recommended). Begin on the West Mancos Trail as it wonders through dense pine and spruce forest, crossing the Mancos River and skirting the base of the prominent western ridgeline of Hesperus Mountain.

There are various options when leaving the West Mancos Trail to gain the ridgeline, look for faint impressions of switchbacks in the talus fields through the trees. The main indicator is the notorious "black streak" running from the top of the ridge down about half way to the main West Mancos Trail.

On the way up, it is best to stay just off the black streak, using the almost step like features to quickly gain elevation. Slow and steady here until the top of the ridge. Once you gain the ridge you'll be looking at the real crux of the path to the summit in a short bench-like feature along the ridge.

The rock and talus can be loose here so choose your footing wisely and don't rush through this section. After gaining the steep bench it's a San Juan talus march to the summit where you'll enjoy sweeping views of the Sleeping Ute, Abajos, La Sals, and southern San Juan range.

If the winds aren't howling you might be able to have a chat with someone across the basin on the summit of Centennial Peak. On the descent take care coming down the bench.

At the black streak the soil is soft and those who are willing can "scree-ski" down this sandy soil to make great time and ease some of the strain on the knees."

One more thing to keep in mind is that Southwestern Colorado had epic snowfall this winter. He likely would be crossing areas of remaining snow pack.

 

[j_in_c]

Very concerning they lost his tracks at a river crossing ... Hopefully he was able to get out of the river and just lost his Inreach.

 

[ArianeEmory]

I had a friend when I was much younger who died in an otherwise survivable incident because she lived alone and had a seizure at home. :/

The fact that they suspect he did have a seizure is concerning.

 

[Howl]

Got timed out on my edit. Earlier reports that O'Brien was spotted on the La Plata Canyon side of Hesperus were determined to be mistaken identity -- it wasn't him.

Yes, losing his footprints at a river crossing is beyond concerning.

I can't find any information on current stream flow on the West Mancos River, but snowmelt can still be going strong in late June. It's likely flowing briskly. Streamflow also varies with time of day. It may have been higher on his return trip than a bit earlier in the afternoon when he first crossed.

Very concerning they lost his tracks at a river crossing ... Hopefully he was able to get out of the river and just lost his Inreach.

 

[tsukemono]

Ian O'Brien lived in the area for quite a few years and had only recently moved to Page, AZ.

Keep in mind that as you get above tree line on the way to summit Hesperus Peak, it's all scree/talus and very steep. There isn't a completely well defined "path" with solid footing.

I'm really interested in knowing if he began his climb at the Sharkstooth Trailhead or from the La Plata Canyon side. From this description, he would have used the Sharkstooth Trailhead, or at least began on the West Mancos side.


I'm confused, because in a later statement, the sheriff's office indicated they were looking on the La Plata Canyon side of Hesperus Peak.

AllTrails.com has a description of the hike from the Sharkstooth Trailhead to Hesperus Peak. This would be on the West Mancos side of Hesperus Peak. Nighttime lows are likely in the high 30s or 40s F.

To give you some idea of the difficulty and conditions:

"Beginning from the Sharkstooth TH, you may find you have to park further down the forest road depending on conditions and vehicle choice (high clearance recommended). Begin on the West Mancos Trail as it wonders through dense pine and spruce forest, crossing the Mancos River and skirting the base of the prominent western ridgeline of Hesperus Mountain.

There are various options when leaving the West Mancos Trail to gain the ridgeline, look for faint impressions of switchbacks in the talus fields through the trees. The main indicator is the notorious "black streak" running from the top of the ridge down about half way to the main West Mancos Trail.

On the way up, it is best to stay just off the black streak, using the almost step like features to quickly gain elevation. Slow and steady here until the top of the ridge. Once you gain the ridge you'll be looking at the real crux of the path to the summit in a short bench-like feature along the ridge.

The rock and talus can be loose here so choose your footing wisely and don't rush through this section. After gaining the steep bench it's a San Juan talus march to the summit where you'll enjoy sweeping views of the Sleeping Ute, Abajos, La Sals, and southern San Juan range.

If the winds aren't howling you might be able to have a chat with someone across the basin on the summit of Centennial Peak. On the descent take care coming down the bench.

At the black streak the soil is soft and those who are willing can "scree-ski" down this sandy soil to make great time and ease some of the strain on the knees."

One more thing to keep in mind is that Southwestern Colorado had epic snowfall this winter. He likely would be crossing areas of remaining snow pack.

He started the hike from Lucy Hall Park. If you look on 14ers.com or other 13er sites, Hesperus can be approached by the Northwest (Sharkstooth TH) or Southwest (West Mancos/Owen's Basin). Local trail groups have done work in recent years to improve (and possibly reroute) the trail going through Owen's Basin. That group has recently posted pics of the trail conditions from the north, and it is extremely washed out, with piles of downed trees crisscrossing the trail. Hopefully the southwest approach was in better condition. But with the epic snowmelt, rivers and creeks are not where they usually are; they are swollen and swift.

 

[Howl]

Thanks for this update, @tsukemono. Long ago I did frequent hikes up to Sharkstooth; it was an easy drive up to the trailhead from my house, for a nice day hike.

I'm not familiar with the Owen's Basin area or Lucy Hall Park. Off to visit google maps!

 

[PommyMommy]

JUL 1, 2023

Search teams led by family continue searching for Ian O’Brien

The search heads into its seventh day following the disappearance of experienced hiker Ian O’Brien, 28, who went missing on June 24 after hiking Hesperus Peak and failing to return to his camp. Accord...

www.the-journal.com

[...]

On Wednesday night, Montezuma County Search and Rescue called off its search, with La Plata County Search and Rescue following suit soon after. ...

“Today is the last day that Montezuma SAR will be officially involved in this,” O’Brien’s sister Molly said on June 29. ...

Vicki Shaffer, Montezuma-County Public Information Officer and one of the Montezuma SAR volunteers, said the only thing that could have been a lead were footprints that were consistent with the type of shoes he wore and the size, but that the footprints hadn’t led to anything.

“His are unique because he wears a size 14,” Shaffer said. “So, we did find some tracks that were consistent, but we don't know for sure if they were left on his way up or on his way back down. And you know, there's obviously no way to absolutely 100% guarantee that those are his tracks; there's a lot of people that hike up there.”

[...]

Now, the search is being led by a friend of O’Brien’s with the help of his parents, longtime girlfriend Beth Henshaw, a National Park service search management specialist and many other family members and friends.

The search has averaged 30-55 volunteers since Saturday, and his family said anyone who wants to join the search is welcome to show up at Lucy Halls Park on FS Road 566 outside of Mancos, and they will be sent out with a team from there. They recommend volunteers show up between 8 and 9 a.m.

The current search area includes Hesperus Mountain, Owens Basin, West Mancos Trail, Sharkstooth Trailhead, Box Canyon Trail and Transfer Campground with a focus on Hesperus and areas closer to Mancos after it was deemed that he was “likely no longer in La Plata County.”

[...]

Even though Montezuma SAR had to call of their search, Shaffer said that didn’t mean they weren’t going to keep searching.

“We've gone into what we call a limited continuous mode, meaning that we won't be there every day all day, but we will be there when we can and we will continue to search up there… We'll keep going back. We have a hard time quitting, so we continue to do what we can, but we're all volunteers,” Shaffer said. “But I do plan to go back this weekend. We'll continue to do what we can.”

[...]

The family said they are determined to find “our goofy, tall, hairy, lovable, talented, big-hearted cousin, son, brother, uncle, friend, teacher and grandson.”

 

[Howl]

A web site, find-ian.com, has been set up to keep everyone current on the search and to organize volunteers.

The is a well-organized effort. For example, on the find-ian website, volunteers are encouraged to download the GAIA GPS app: "...Download the maps and then you can track where you walk and share your map, so we can better track our searching..."

More snips from find-ian.com:

...Our search area is from Hesperus Mountain - Owens Basin - West Mancos Trail - Sharkstooth Trailhead - Box Canyon Trail - Transfer campground. It’s BIG and we’re looking off trail...

...REMOTE SEARCHERS: We also need help assessing Drone footage - details below...

...Volunteers can meet up at Lucy Halls Park on FS Road 566 outside of Mancos, Colorado for assignments [if you clink on this link, google maps shows a photo of Hesperus Peak]

FOR GENERAL INFORMATION, CALL 970-564-4998

***IF ANYONE HAS SEEN HIM OR HAS ANY LEGITIMATE LEADS PLEASE CONTACT THE MONTEZUMA COUNTY SHERIFF AT 970-565-8452 or 970-564-4986***

 

[tsukemono]

I have watched some of the drone videos posted and even in areas with minimal underbrush, it is incredibly hard to distinguish shadows and shapes. I hiked downstream from this area over the weekend and the rivers are still running very high, but clear now (less sediment).

Every helicopter or siren I hear, I think of Ian, hoping he is found soon

 

[Elana619]

Very interesting. This is the first missing hiker case I've followed where the missing person has a satellite device. I'm not completely familiar with how these devices work. Does anyone know about the Garmin InReach device?

I have one! What do you have questions about?

 

[azure]

I have one! What do you have questions about?

I think @tsukemono answered my main question:

I use a Garmin inreach device. It must be manually activated in order to track and share his location. I generally carry mine turned off or in stand by (not tracking). A button must be uncovered and pressed in order to trigger the SOS function. Some devices enable you to have a text conversation with SAR as they dispatch to your location.

The InReach device doesn't share location unless it's turned on. It's extremely useful in cases of a lost hiker or minor injury. But if someone falls and loses consciousness, it's not worth much unless it was already on.

 

[PommyMommy]

JUL 6, 2023

Sheriff suspends local funding in search of missing hiker due to "exhaustion" of resources | outtherecolorado.com

According to an announcement from La Plata County Search and Rescue, they've suspended search efforts related to missing 28-year-old runner Ian O'Brien, last seen on the evening of June 25 in La Plata Canyon.

The decision to suspend the financial backing of the local effort was prompted by a difficult decision made by Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin, due to exhaustion of local resources. Officials continue to work with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, as well as the United States Military on the case. It's also worth noting that search and rescue organizations can still opt to participate in the search, though their efforts will no longer be covered by insurance from the Sheriff's Office.

[...]

 

[Howl]

I'm not surprised that the Sheriff's office and SAR are suspending their participation. It's been almost two weeks.

There are still many volunteers participating in the organized search out of Lucy Halls Park, spearheaded by Open Sky Staff, Beth Henshaw (Ian O'Briens partner) and members of his family.