GARFIELD COUNTY, Utah, Jan. 31, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Search and rescue crews from several agencies are searching for a 32-year-old Utah man who has been missing since Thursday, Jan. 26.
Austin Madsen was last seen while heading to Kanab to go hiking, according to social media posts attempting to locate him. Madsen’s last known location was Monroe.
Mapleton police pinged Madsen’s cellphone Sunday, Jan. 29, which led deputies to his vehicle in the Dry Hollow area on Mount Dutton, according to a news release from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.
Search and rescue crews from Garfield, Iron, Piute and Sevier counties located and followed a trail of footprints believed to be Madsen’s for several miles before suspending the search about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday due to extreme weather conditions, officials said.
The multi-jurisdiction search resumed at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, with the assistance of a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter.
“Low temperatures and high winds made visibility for the search incredibly difficult,” the release states. “The rough terrain and deep snow complicated travel throughout the area.”
Gephardt Daily will update this story as more information becomes available.
