Search efforts continue for 2 missing elk hunters in Colorado national forest

Search and rescue crews continue to comb the Rio Grande National Forest in southern Colorado on Thursday in search of two missing elk hunters The hunters -year-old Andrew Porter of Asheville N C and -year-old Ian Stasko of Salt Lake City were stated missing last Friday after they failed to check in with their loved ones and their satellite device stopped functioning Bridget Murphy Porter s fianc e communicated the Colorado Sun that Porter had been sending brief updates to her and his family every limited hours until the afternoon of Sept The last ping came from near Stasko s car which was parked at the Rio de Los Pinos trailhead Other hunters spotted the hunters Friday morning on a trail neighboring the Rio de Los Pinos trail Murphy noted in a Wednesday update on Facebook More than search teams were in the field on Wednesday a mix of professionally trained search and rescue personnel and participants according to a news release from the Conejos County Sheriff s Office Each crew consisted of three to four people traveling on foot or horseback Helpers arrived in southern Colorado from numerous counties and even traveled in from other states including Texas Oklahoma Arkansas and Wyoming sheriff s leaders noted in the release Drones and helicopters also searched the forest from above sheriff s leaders revealed Related Articles Massive search and rescue operation continues for missing elk hunters in southern Colorado -year-old boy revealed missing from Greenwood Village discovered safe Aurora girl who disappeared in still missing FBI says Missing people in the Denver metro Missing Thornton man revealed safe Texas floods leave at least dead girls missing as rescuers search devastated landscape We are praying every moment Murphy wrote on Facebook We know they re very strong and capable guys We just keep praying Murphy stated the families are offering a reward for the person who finds the two men and appealed anyone with experience to join the search As of Thursday morning more than had been raised on GoFundMe for the search People interested in helping can call the Conejos County Sheriff s Office at - - for information This is a evolving story and may be updated Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter