WY WY - Austin King, 22, Yellowstone National Park, Eagle Peak, 17 Sept 2024

[Tomgetty]

The entire trail segment of Mountain Creek/Howell Creek, YNP has been closed since the SAR activities started, but now shows availability for backcountry reservations starting this Sunday, 10/6. I would imagine AK's SAR activities will continue until Saturday, or perhaps be extended if the weather allows.

 

[mlhenn]

'I'm not gonna give up': Father of missing hiker from Winona remains hopeful for son's return

King is a triathlon winner and full of outdoor survival skills, his dad said. He took those skills with him out to Yellowstone National Park where he's been working recently.

kstp.com

Austin King’s father, Brian King-Henke, has been leaning on hope as the days pass without word from his son.

“All you can do is wait hour by hour and minute by minute,” he said during an interview on Monday. “I’m not gonna give up until I get that call.”

 

[tarabull]

The BBM has me hopeful, somehow - FWIW
Snipped from the link above...
...King is a triathlon winner and full of outdoor survival skills, his dad said. He took those skills with him out to Yellowstone National Park where he’s been working recently.

“He was in his element,” King-Henke continued.

 

[Tower]

'I'm not gonna give up': Father of missing hiker from Winona remains hopeful for son's return

King is a triathlon winner and full of outdoor survival skills, his dad said. He took those skills with him out to Yellowstone National Park where he's been working recently.

kstp.com

Austin King’s father, Brian King-Henke, has been leaning on hope as the days pass without word from his son.

“All you can do is wait hour by hour and minute by minute,” he said during an interview on Monday. “I’m not gonna give up until I get that call.”

Heartbreaking. I have a son exactly Austin’s age and my kids are all avid climbers, mountaineers and hikers. I can absolutely imagine what his father is going through, and it’s painful, my chest actually aches. What a long and terrible 9 days Austin’s family has endured. He could still be alive if he wandered far off course, at lower elevation, and found a water source. I couldn’t give up hope either.

 

[RedHaus]

He could still be alive if he wandered far off course, at lower elevation, and found a water source. I couldn’t give up hope either.

RSBM
Hope is very powerful. And to your heartfelt point, there are numerous creeks to the north, east, and south of Eagle Peak, at the lower elevation. So if AK got lost but found a creek, he could have parked there to keep himself hydrated.

I now wonder if SAR are walking those creeks as part of their search for AK.

 

[tarabull]

This is puzzling...MOO

Snipped...
... It's not clear what became of a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado pickup with Minnesota plates that the park service said is associated with King.

 

[ch_13]

This is puzzling...MOO

Snipped...
... It's not clear what became of a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado pickup with Minnesota plates that the park service said is associated with King.

That's a week-old article. I think we would have heard something by now if it was relevant.

I don't think there's any outstanding question about his truck. It's clear that he took a ferry across Yellowstone Lake and walked to Eagle Peak. His truck in all likelihood is parked at his residence, or in one of the parking lots where he picked up the ferry.

"It's not clear"....It's not clear to whom? The Park Service? The reporter? People sometimes try to dissect these articles like they're the Ten Commandments, when really they are being written under deadline with no editing. It's like the statement from the retired ranger who seemed to suggest that something nefarious had happened at the campsite, when in reality his words were probably taken out of context. I suspect what happened was that the reporter asked about the vehicle and the spokesman said that they didn't know where it was, when they really should have said, "Why are you asking me about Austin's truck when he went missing on the other side of the park, at least 50 miles away from wherever it is parked?"

 

[tarabull]

Perception is always interesting & always welcome.

ETA:
Snipped...
...According to Austin's Facebook, he competed in a triathlon in June 2022.'Officially a Triathlon Finisher.

For those who care it was .25 mile swim, 12 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run and my finish time was 1:33:00,' he wrote.

 

[truthfinder2019]

Search continues for missing Winona hiker

It's been nearly two weeks since loved ones have heard from 22-year-old Austin King of Winona.

www.kaaltv.com

“All you can do is wait hour by hour and minute by minute. I’m not gonna give up until I get that call,” King’s father said.

King’s father also says Austin is a triathlon winner with strong outdoor survival skills. Skills, he says, Austin took out to Yellowstone.

 

[RedHaus]

Perception is always interesting & always welcome.... For those who care it was .25 mile swim, 12 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run and my finish time was 1:33:00,' he wrote.

RSBM

So, based on AK's own reporting: he finished a Sprint Triathalon (with 1/2 swim) two+ years ago.

Sprint-distance triathlon: A sprint triathlon is half of the Olympic distances. It includes a swim for 0.5 miles, a cycling route across 12.4 miles, and a run for 3.1 miles.

What are Olympic triathlon distances?
"The overall Olympic triathlon distance is 51.5km (32 miles). This includes a 1.5km (0.93 mile) swim, 40km (25 mile) cycle, and a 10km (6.2 mile) run."

ET: correct triathalon classification.

 

[Snoopster]

Search continues for missing Winona hiker

It's been nearly two weeks since loved ones have heard from 22-year-old Austin King of Winona.

www.kaaltv.com

“All you can do is wait hour by hour and minute by minute. I’m not gonna give up until I get that call,” King’s father said.

King’s father also says Austin is a triathlon winner with strong outdoor survival skills. Skills, he says, Austin took out to Yellowstone.

I really wish that Austin had had an emergency location device like this person this week:

Missing Canadian hiker found dead on Mount Baker - My Bellingham Now

The outcome wasn't great, but at least family didn't have to wait too long to find out what happened and searchers didn't spend weeks searching.
Of course Austin was young and fit, but, as we see, anything can happen to anyone.
I hope we hear some news soon. His poor family.

 

[Tomgetty]

NPS updated today on AK's SAR and the transition from Rescue to Recovery. The updated map shows they have searched adjacent valleys and more ridgelines of the corresponding peaks.

 

[RedHaus]

NPS updated today on AK's SAR and the transition from Rescue to Recovery. The updated map shows they have searched adjacent valleys and more ridgelines of the corresponding peaks.

Wow, @Tomgetty, that is just a stunning search effort in all possible directions that AK may have gone. Kudos to SAR.

 

[Lish311]

This is a tough update to read today from the NPS. Despite the remoteness of the area, there is not much that can overall stop a healthy, athletic 22 year old for this long. I'm sure the searchers felt that way too and that's why they threw everything they could at it. I still think that he got lost 1) trying to find his original camp from the summit, 2) trying to find an alternative "easier" route down the mountain and 3) trying to find his original camp from some off track place he sheltered at after descending in darkness. He also could have been lost looking for a water source since we can assume he had only enough food or water for 1 night and left the rest at camp. It was also reported that he took a different route to the mountain than he had planned and discussed with family and friends but they never said what his initial route was before he changed it at the last minute. The reports only noted that the Park Rangers cabin where he stopped on September 16th was a deviation from his pre-planned route. So he now had 2 different route possibilities that he thought he could change between and had already changed his route at the last minute - I could see this increasing the possibility of changing again but this time not getting back. I have been overwhelmed by not being able to find my car in a parking garage or not being able to find my way back while walking in a small European city when my phone died. So I don't underestimate the scale of losing your orientation here in the darkness and how severe that can be - a mistake can cost hours or days. But still, the weather had cleared up and he would be able to find his general way even through tiredness and hunger. The update says that they have not really found any clues besides his original camp - which makes sense if he went really off track or they would have at least found some clues by now. But still only a major injury or fall, an animal, or freezing temperatures could permanently stop a young and fit guy like this - and so you can only conclude that something strong enough to get the best of him happened. My heart goes out to his family. He should be coming home - but I don't lose hope that he will be found somehow although maybe not as soon as we hope.

 

[Lish311]

Lastly, I wish that the national park service would invest in giving free emergency locators at the trailhead to any person who is traveling in back country areas such as these. When you arrive safely back, you return it back for the next person. The cost of a small device is nothing compared to the costs and resources spent searching for a missing hiker for weeks and the cost to their family and loved ones. And the value of a young person rescued - and the 60 years he has left if he hadn't run into trouble out there - is priceless.

 

[Tomgetty]

Lastly, I wish that the national park service would invest in giving free emergency locators at the trailhead to any person who is traveling in back country areas such as these. When you arrive safely back, you return it back for the next person. The cost of a small device is nothing compared to the costs and resources spent searching for a missing hiker for weeks and the cost to their family and loved ones. And the value of a young person rescued - and the 60 years he has left if he hadn't run into trouble out there - is priceless.

I agree. There are basic keychain sized tags called RECCO Reflectors that are relatively cheap, don't require batteries or a paid-subscription and would have been highly effective in this case. Teton Country SAR has the technology on their helicopter.

The NPS Backcountry offices could rent them with a deposit, much like how you can rent a Bear Can at the Yosemite backcountry office. I carry my RECCO reflector backcountry and also when traveling internationally.

 

[RedHaus]

NPS updated today on AK's SAR and the transition from Rescue to Recovery. The updated map shows they have searched adjacent valleys and more ridgelines of the corresponding peaks.

Here is an article about today's full NPS press release, which includes the map you posted.

 

[Chimera]

Search continues for missing Winona hiker

It's been nearly two weeks since loved ones have heard from 22-year-old Austin King of Winona.

www.kaaltv.com

“All you can do is wait hour by hour and minute by minute. I’m not gonna give up until I get that call,” King’s father said.

King’s father also says Austin is a triathlon winner with strong outdoor survival skills. Skills, he says, Austin took out to Yellowstone.

So sad for his family !
I'd imagine he may still be alive but injured and is hoping for rescue.
Have they been using drones ?
That can help to look in difficult or inaccessible areas.
Omo.

 

[RedHaus]

Have they been using drones ?

RSBM
See NPS Map from 10/2/2024. Source ^.

 

[arielilane]

Posted six hours ago.

(UPDATE) After 11 days of searching, Yellowstone will scale back efforts to locate Austin King in the vicinity of Eagle Peak and transition from a rescue to recovery today, Oct. 2.
More: https://nps.gov/yell/learn/news/240922.htm

https://twitter.com/x/status/1841545295684935779