Twenty-five-year-old Luke Richardson was last seen on September 12th. The Vermont-native, who was living in Hailey, was last spotted on the Summit Creek Trail. His tent and coat were later found in his home.
But after eight days of looking extensively in difficult mountain terrain, officials called off the search. Blaine County Sheriff Gene Ramsey says crews had scoured 51 square miles and logged almost 2000 man hours. Searchers used military helicopters, drones and dogs, and rescuers from Idaho and Montana.
Now, the family is continuing the search.They've raised more than $25,000 on a crowd funding site to pay for the effort. According to the Idaho Mountain Express, 10 volunteers are looking for Richardson now – including hikers familiar with the area. Some have flown across the country to join the search.
Privately funded and organized searches aren't new in Idaho. In recent years, similar efforts were coordinated for missing hikers in the Craters of the Moon National Monument, as well as for victims of a plane crash in the backcountry east of McCall.
Follow reporter Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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