Search scaled back for Utah man missing in Yellowstone National Park

The east shore of Shoshone Lake. Photo Courtesy: National Park Service

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyoming, Oct. 1, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The search for a Utah man who has been missing in Yellowstone National Park since September is being scaled back, officials said Friday.

“Yellowstone National Park has begun scaling back search and recovery efforts for Kim Crumbo,” said a news release from the National Park Service. “The search for 74-year-old Crumbo from Ogden, has continued for nearly three weeks using helicopters, boats, sonar technology and ground crews. Current weather forecasts call for deteriorating conditions over the upcoming week, including snow and freezing temperatures. The park will continue limited search efforts as long as conditions allow this year.”

Crumbo and his brother Mark O’Neill, from Chimacum, Washington, were reported overdue by a family member Sunday, Sept. 19 from their four-night backcountry trip to Shoshone Lake. Park search crews found O’Neill’s body on the east shore of Shoshone Lake on Monday, Sept. 20. The autopsy determined his cause of death was exposure (hypothermia).

“All of us at Yellowstone extend our deepest sympathies to the families, friends and colleagues of both Mark and Kim,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly. “I want to personally thank the teams from Yellowstone, other parks and agencies, and partner organizations who worked to help us locate Mark, and who continue search efforts to bring Kim home.”

This incident is still under investigation, and officials cannot comment further about specifics, the news release said.

The park does not expect to provide further updates unless a notable change occurs.

If you have information that could help investigators piece together a timeline of events, or if you were in the Shoshone Lake area between Sept. 12 and Sept. 19, you are asked to contact officials at 307-344-2428 or [email protected].

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