Current:Home > Contact-usRocky Mountains hiker disappears after texting friend he'd reached the summit of Longs Peak-LoTradeCoin
Rocky Mountains hiker disappears after texting friend he'd reached the summit of Longs Peak
View Date:2024-12-24 07:28:23
A 23-year-old hiker went missing in Rocky Mountain National Park Sunday after he texted his friend that he had reached the summit of a mountain.
Lucas Macaj from Colorado Springs, Colorado texted his friend around 1 p.m. to let them know he was at the summit of Longs Peak, a mountain in the Rockies. That was the last time anyone heard from him, according to a press release posted to Rocky Mountain National Park's Facebook page.
The post adds that "significant storms moved through high elevations in the park" that same afternoon.
When Macaj did not return at the time he was supposed to, he was reported overdue late Sunday night. On Monday, rangers confirmed his vehicle remained parked at the Longs Peak Trailhead.
The search for him on Monday included air reconnaissance, a heat sensing fixed-wing flight and ground teams set out to search for him.
According to the post, Macaj is likely wearing "a dark colored top, tan or brown pants, khaki-colored boots, and a black backpack. He may also be wearing a beanie and dark colored gloves."
Macaj is 5'9, 155 pounds and has brown hair and green eyes, according to the National Park Service.
The search continues
A press release posted to Facebook on Wednesday states that strong winds made it unsafe for helicopters to transport search teams further up the mountain, and that "aircraft from the Colorado Army National Guard conducted additional aerial reconnaissance," but low clouds hampered visibility.
Other team members are looking at aerial reconnaissance photos to search for clues on Macaj's whereabouts.
Multiple groups are assisting with the search. The park states that there is even a search team that hiked through an area of the park on Wednesday in search of the 23-year-old. They should be skiing down after an overnight stay at a shelter.
Rocky Mountain National Park asks that anyone with information do the following:
- Call the NPS Tip Line at 888-653-0009
- Visit nps.gov/ISB to submit a tip
- Email [email protected] with any leads
The park also asks that anyone who was in the following areas reach out to them:
- Hunter’s Creek drainage
- Base of Keplinger’s Coulier
- Longs Peak Trail
- Battle Mountain Junction
- Chasm Shelter near Chasm Lake
- Areas between Longs Peak and Mount Meeker
- Clark’s Arrow Route
- Top of Keplinger’s Coulier
- Keyhole Route
"You don't have to tell us who you are, but please tell us what you know," it states.
veryGood! (77297)
Related
- 13 escaped monkeys still on the loose in South Carolina after 30 were recaptured
- Ukrainian drones hit a Russian tanker near Crimea in the second sea attack in a day
- Kai Cenat will face charges of inciting a riot after chaotic New York giveaway, NYPD says
- Mark Margolis, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul actor, dies at age 83
- Democrat Ruben Gallego wins Arizona US Senate race against Republican Kari Lake
- California investigates school district’s parental notification policy on children’s gender identity
- Compensation for New Mexico wildfire victims tops $14 million and is climbing
- Where did 20,000 Jews hide from the Holocaust? In Shanghai
- Congress is revisiting UFOs: Here's what's happened since last hearing on extraterrestrials
- New offshore wind power project proposed for New Jersey Shore, but this one’s far out to sea
Ranking
- Roster limits in college small sports put athletes on chopping block while coaches look for answers
- Why NFL Star Josh Allen Is “Surprised” Travis Kelce Fumbled His Chance With Taylor Swift
- DeSantis steps up dire warning to GOP about distraction from Biden, amid Trump’s latest indictment
- Farm Jobs Friday
- Patricia Heaton criticizes media, 'extremists' she says 'fear-mongered' in 2024 election
- You Won't Believe Which Celebrities Used to Be Roommates
- Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner returns after mental health break
- Two years after Tokyo, Simone Biles is coming back from ‘the twisties.’ Not every gymnast does
Recommendation
-
What are the best financial advising companies? Help USA TODAY rank the top U.S. firms
-
LL COOL J on preparing to embark on his first arena tour in 30 years: I'm going to dig in the crates
-
A tarot card reading for the U.S. economy
-
Season-ticket sellout shows Detroit Lions fans are on the hype train
-
See Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's Winning NFL Outing With Kids Zuma and Apollo
-
What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening
-
Texas judge grants abortion exemption to women with pregnancy complications; state AG's office to appeal ruling
-
Prosecutors in Trump's N.Y. criminal case can have his E. Jean Carroll deposition, judge rules