ST. GEORGE — Search and rescue crews in Southern Utah continue to search for a 32-year-old man believed to be missing since Thursday.
Austin Madsen was last seen in the Monroe area and was reportedly heading toward Kanab, according to social media posts asking for help locating him.
A news release issued on Tuesday evening by Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said authorities in that county received information on Sunday that Madsen had been reported missing and his cell phone had been “pinged” by Mapleton City Police at a location within Garfield County.
Multiple agencies and individuals also shared on social media a video clip that had been sent by Madsen, asking for the public’s help in identifying the location where it was taken.
Garfield County Sheriff’s deputies, along with assistance from search and rescue teams from Iron, Sevier and Piute counties, were able to locate Madsen’s vehicle late Monday night in the Dry Hollow area of Mount Dutton.
After locating the vehicle, searchers followed a set of footprints in the snow for several miles before suspending the search at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday due to extreme weather conditions, including low temperatures and high winds.
The search resumed at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, with the SAR teams of Garfield, Piute and Sevier counties joined by a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter crew.
Authorities say the weather conditions are making the search “incredibly difficult,” with the rough terrain and deep snow complicating the search efforts.
“This is an active search, and we will continue to provide updates as they become available,” the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office statement concluded.
This is a developing story. Anyone who has seen Madsen or has been in contact with him over the past few days is asked to call the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office at 435-676-2678 or the Mapleton City Police Department at 801-491-8048.
Photo Gallery
Photo of Austin Madsen, believed to be in the Garfield County area of Southern Utah, shortly before he was reported missing around Jan. 29, 2023. | Image courtesy of Facebook, St. George News Facebook post regarding missing man Austin Madsen, reported missing as of Jan. 26, 2023 and believed to be in Garfield County area of Southern Utah. | Image courtesy of Facebook, St. George News Undated photo of Austin Madsen, who reportedly went missing in Southern Utah around Jan. 29, 2023. | Image courtesy of Facebook, St. George News
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