Found Deceased SD - Larry Genzlinger, 66, hunter, Deerfield Lake, Black Hills National Forest, 1 Oct 2019

[PommyMommy]

OCT 8, 2019
Pennington County Sheriff's Office
Two members from Wolfpack Working Dogs searched this morning. Two others worked this afternoon. Some 35 people are today looking for missing hunter Larry Genzlinger. Rugged terrain!

 

[Tripod]

Continuing prayers for Larry and his loved ones. I love S. Dakota.

 

[PommyMommy]

OCT 8, 2019
Missing person searches continue
[...]

[...]

The most recent search is for 66-year-old Larry Genzlinger, who went missing while elk hunting in Black Hills National Forest more than a week ago..

Drones flew over the area where Genzlinger was last seen. Search teams go out in groups of seven to 12 and are equipped with GPS units.

"Every time a searcher goes out, we issue them a GPS and they turn it on when they get to their search area and it helps to grid search," said Dustin Morrison, a Pennington County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant. "Then, we download it when they're complete, to know what areas have been covered, what areas we need to re-cover, and what areas are new areas that we should look at covering."

The terrain itself is a challenge to the search effort. The area includes vast open expanses, as well as incredibly dense and remote woods that have yet to be cleared all the way through, making searching and visibility incredibly difficult.

"The terrain is so steep, so to speak, that with all of the ground coverage, it's very slow-moving," said James Dietz, Operations Officer for the Pennington County Search and Rescue.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

OCT 10, 2019
Search for missing hunter paused
According to Pennington County Sheriff's Office spokeman, the searches are currently suspended in the area because of the weather and the search parties will be delayed until the snow is accumulated and analyzed in the Deerfield Lake area.

Winter storm complicates search for missing hunter
[...]

VK of Lake Madison, Genzlinger's cousin, credited the men and women who were searching for her relative in the Deerfield Lake area, which is located in the middle of the Black Hills. The terrain was already described as difficult, steep and "...a challenge to the search effort."

[...]

A midweek snowstorm is complicating matters for searchers working in the Black Hills National Forest with 4 to 6 inches of snow expected in the Rapid City area. Another 6 to 10 inches of snow is expected to fall in the northern Black Hills late Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Gusty winds are also expected in the West River region.

[...[

Forecasters have predicted a 20% chance of more snow in the Rapid City area on Friday. The weather in the region should clear on Saturday.

 

[PommyMommy]

OCT 15, 2019

• Searches continued over the weekend, through today and will pick up again tomorrow. ​
• They've had nine K-9s from around the region (CO, NM, MT, UT) and some ground searchers looking for Serenity Dennard and Larry Genzlinger.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=412920322597605

​

 

[Steelslady]

Oh my, where could this man be?

Have they found any evidence at all that he was even there? Footprints, his gun, article of clothing- anything?

Did the search dogs pick up his scent at all?

I hate to go there, but, was he ever in those woods?

 

[PommyMommy]

Oh my, where could this man be?

Have they found any evidence at all that he was even there? Footprints, his gun, article of clothing- anything?

Did the search dogs pick up his scent at all?

I hate to go there, but, was he ever in those woods?

If they've found anything, they've certainly kept it quiet. I hope they can find him before it really starts snowing. MOO

 

[Steelslady]

If they've found anything, they've certainly kept it quiet. I hope they can find him before it really starts snowing. MOO

I just don't understand it. If he had a medical emergency, he should have left some kind of trace- foot steps, his gun would obviously fall from his hands or he would at the very least put it down. I'm really worried he wasn't there, but he could have simply got lost.

When exactly did the nephew notice he was missing? Assuming they weren't too far away from one another, there should be some trace of him somewhere.

I wish they would say if the dogs picked up his scent. I know some hunters use a scent disguiser and put deer urine on themselves (gross!) so they deer don't smell their scent. I wonder if he used this, and if maybe the dogs might not have been able to track him?

Something just seems off to me. I want to know how far away he was from his nephew and how long before he noticed that he was missing. I can't imagine if something medical occurred, that he would be that far away from where they separated, if they did.

 

[PommyMommy]

I just don't understand it. If he had a medical emergency, he should have left some kind of trace- foot steps, his gun would obviously fall from his hands or he would at the very least put it down. I'm really worried he wasn't there, but he could have simply got lost.

When exactly did the nephew notice he was missing? Assuming they weren't too far away from one another, there should be some trace of him somewhere.

I wish they would say if the dogs picked up his scent. I know some hunters use a scent disguiser and put deer urine on themselves (gross!) so they deer don't smell their scent. I wonder if he used this, and if maybe the dogs might not have been able to track him?

Something just seems off to me. I want to know how far away he was from his nephew and how long before he noticed that he was missing. I can't imagine if something medical occurred, that he would be that far away from where they separated, if they did.

It's very likely that he suffered a medical event at some point but the thing is, he was last seen at 2 p.m. and reported missing at 7:30 p.m. So, if he was lost and wandering in the wrong direction for 5 1/2 hours, there's no telling where he may have wound up.

On top of that, he was wearing camouflage!

And,you could be right - maybe he was never there. But if he was, chances are it could take a long while to find him. MOO

 

[Luckyzmom]

Going to assume that a lot of locals are searching. That's a huge plus. Hopefully he's stuck to one spot there's a lot of places that are probably familiar to Larry and his family and friends. That will help too. Prayers for all, and thank you SARS and LE

 

[Steelslady]

It's very likely that he suffered a medical event at some point but the thing is, he was last seen at 2 p.m. and reported missing at 7:30 p.m. So, if he was lost and wandering in the wrong direction for 5 1/2 hours, there's no telling where he may have wound up.

On top of that, he was wearing camouflage!

And,you could be right - maybe he was never there. But if he was, chances are it could take a long while to find him. MOO

I know, I find that so odd that no one reported him missing for over five hours! He had not one, but two serious medical issues- you don't wait that long to call for help searching, especially at his age.

So he didn't have a vest on? Kind of foolish for any hunter not to wear one- that's for their own safety so that other hunters don't shoot at them. I know some don't wear them, but most do now. Been a few accidents up here because of no vests, luckily, no deaths since we've lived here.

 

[Steelslady]

Going to assume that a lot of locals are searching. That's a huge plus. Hopefully he's stuck to one spot there's a lot of places that are probably familiar to Larry and his family and friends. That will help too. Prayers for all, and thank you SARS and LE

Whatever you (or anyone else) do, don't read comments on news sites on FB. Many folks praying, while some are bickering that they haven't found Serenity yet and why are they focusing on Larry when she's been missing since February. Ugh!

 

[PommyMommy]

OCT 17, 2019
The search continues today in the Black Hills with two specialized K9 teams looking for missing hunter Larry Genzlinger.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2649773188399673

 

[PommyMommy]

OCT 18, 2019
Pennington County Sheriff's Office
Another hunter has been found but the PCSO comments on this post that it was not Larry and the search for him continues today. MOO

 

[PommyMommy]

OCT 17, 2019
Genzlinger searches are continuing this week
[...]

Lt. Dustin Morrison of the Pennington County Sheriff's Office said the searches held on Monday included a team with a cadaver dog.

On its Facebook page, the Pennington County Sheriff's Office reported that it had as many as nine canine search teams this week from Colorado, New Mexico, Montana and Utah and other ground search teams looking for Genzlinger and also for Serenity Dennard, a 9-year-old girl missing since February.

[...]

Helene Duhamel, a sheriff's office spokeswoman, said search efforts were made more complicated by Genzlinger wearing camouflage clothing while hunting.

Search efforts have included the use of helicopters and drones with cameras.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

OCT 18, 2019
One hunter found, one still missing in Black Hills
[...]

In both cases, the hunters had people in the same general area... and Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom said the situations are similar.

[...]

A thermal drone was used Thursday night to find the 72-year-old hunter, and a sheriff deputy found the man near the last location he was seen.

Helicopters, drones, horses, K9's, ground searchers, ATV's and UTV's have been used by search and rescue to help find 66-year-old Larry Genzlinger, who is still missing.

[...]

 

[Luckyzmom]

Prayers tonight for Larry and his family and friends. He's just blending right in to the hills..MOO

 

[PommyMommy]

OCT 25, 2019
Search for Dennard, Genzlinger are both "unique and challenging", says Sheriff - KNBN NewsCenter1
[...]

Serenity Dennard, 9, walked away from the Black Hills Children’s Home February 3rd. Larry Genzlinger, 66, was last seen hunting south of Deerfield Lake October 1st.

[...]

“We have a lot of volunteers, well over 100 volunteers that support the Sheriff’s Office day in and day out and frankly, [we] couldn’t do it without them,” said Thom.

As the searches continue, weather remains the biggest factor. Recent snow has brought the searches to a halt. The varying terrain, however, means different things for each search moving forward.

In the search area near Deerfield, snow has continued, picking up about a foot of snow in some spots which Sheriff Thom says has shut down that search for the time being.

[...]

While still weather dependent, Sheriff Thom assures that the searches will continue until they turn the missing into the found.

 

[PommyMommy]

Pennington County SO on Twitter
If you see something, say something in hunting season. @PennCoSheriff reminds hunters to be alert for two missing people.
Larry Genzlinger—in the area of Sawmill Draw, Six Mile and Ditch Creek Roads. Serenity Dennard—near Black Hills Children’s Home in Rockerville. Call 394-2151.

1:09 PM - 2 Nov 2019

 

[PommyMommy]

NOV 2, 2019
Deer hunting season opener, hunters to be on alert for missing persons
This weekend is the opening weekend for Black Hills deer hunting season and the Pennington County Sheriff's Office is advising hunters to be on alert for two missing people.

[...]
​

Larry Genzlinger was last seen on Oct. 1 while elk hunting with his nephew in the area of Sawmill Draw, Six Mile, and Ditch Creek Roads.

Genzlinger is described as a Caucasian male, 5 foot 9 inches, 250 pounds, brown eyes with gray hair and gray beard.

[...]

"There's a number of things you can do, of course, be aware of your physical limitations and hunt accordingly if that's a factor, and be prepared when you go into the woods. Be familiar with an area and if you aren't familiar with an area, be sure you have the proper gear when you go to hunt that area," said Thom.

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office is also reminding hunters out that if you see something, say something.

[...]​