2 Experienced Outdoorsmen Reported Missing During Elk Hunting Trip

Search efforts are underway for two missing elk hunters who haven’t been heard from in nearly a week.

The Conejos County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) said officers responded to the Rio De Los Pinos Trailhead in Colorado’s Rio Grande National Forest on Saturday, Sept. 13 to make contact with the two individuals, who were reported overdue while elk hunting, according to a news release obtained by PEOPLE.

The men have been identified as Andrew Porter of Asheville, N.C., and Ian Stasko of Salt Lake City, Utah.

The sheriff’s office said the two men, both 25, were in the San Juan Wilderness area west of Trujillo Meadows Reservoir at the time of their disappearance. They were reported missing after failing to check in with their loved ones at a predetermined time.

Authorities said a “massive” search began immediately after a car driven by the two men to the trailhead was located “but neither individual was there.”

“Camping gear and backpacks were located in the vehicle, prompting Deputies to become concerned due to heavy rain and bad weather,” they added.

In an update on Wednesday, Sept. 17, officials confirmed that the search remains ongoing.

In an interview with The Colorado Sun, Bridget Murphy, Porter’s fiancée, said that she last heard from them around 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, when he shared his location with her from a satellite communication device – and that he’d been sending brief updates every few hours until then. 

That same night, “terrible storms” passed through the area, which continued through Sunday, according to CBS affiliate KKTV.

Murphy, who told the outlet that she and Porter are “supposed to be married in a few months,” described both men as “fit” and “very savvy outdoorsmen.”

“If they’re able, they will do everything they can to survive,” she explained. “They’re not some random people who chose this area without thought. They’ve been looking at this area for six months before coming here. They’re strong and capable, but we need the resources and they deserve them.”

Speaking with The Colorado Sun, Murphy said that because both Porter and Stasko have plenty of experienced, their loved ones “have a little bit of hope,” but that their survival “depends on if they were in sound mind, if they were disoriented or panicked, or if they were already hypothermic.” 

“We’re just not sure,” she added. “So there’s a lot of teams out looking.” 

Murphy asked for “experienced” volunteers to help search for them in a post on her Facebook page.

“I love Andrew with all of my heart and if you can’t come help, please just pray for a safe recovery,” she wrote.

In an update on Wednesday, Sept. 17, she said that while both men remain missing, there had been a confirmed sighting of the pair on the morning of Friday, Sept. 12, at the Spruce Hole Trailhead.

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A GoFundMe was also set up by loved ones to raise money to help aid search efforts, which has raised over $60,000 as of Sept. 17.

“Local authorities and volunteers have been conducting searches on foot, on horseback and by air. We are very grateful to the Conejos County Sheriff’s department and to all the volunteers for their efforts in finding Andrew and Ian,” Porter’s aunt wrote in a message on the online fundraiser. “But we need more help and we need it now.”