CEDAR CITY — Following an exhaustive effort by search and rescue teams from multiple agencies, authorities are refocusing the search for a 32-year-old Mapleton man.
As previously reported, Austin Madsen was reported missing last Sunday by family members who hadn’t heard from him in a couple days. He was reportedly last seen in the Monroe area and was thought to have been heading south toward the Kanab area.
Although searchers in Garfield County were able to locate Madsen’s vehicle late Monday night in the Dry Hollow area of Mount Dutton, no sign of Madsen himself has yet been found.
“With extremely low temperatures and wind chills compounding the effects of sub-zero conditions, it is our best hope that Austin Madsen has possibly self-rescued from this situation and has yet to contact authorities or family members,” Garfield County Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release issued Friday afternoon. “At this point, air operations and assigned deputies will be suspended from actively searching the Mount Dutton area as those resources have exhausted every effort available to open any new investigative leads.”
The statement also noted that Garfield County Sheriff’s deputies had redirected the search on Thursday, based on a lead that led them to believe that Madsen may have begun making his way off Mount Dutton the same way he had come in with his vehicle.
“With this information, search efforts were directed to the Black Canyon area,” the statement said, noting that the search and rescue teams employed aerial drones and went on horseback, on foot, and in track-wheeled UTVs as they scoured the cliffs and terrain throughout Black Canyon northward back towards Antimony.
Although ground-based search efforts had been limited earlier in the week in order to preserve any tracks that Madsen may have left in the snow, the decision was made as the search progressed into its fourth day “to involve every asset available in an effort to develop new leads.”
“Unfortunately, no signs of Austin were identified,” the news release stated.
“Garfield County will begin to transition search and rescue efforts from a dynamic and intensive search to a more passive approach to best allocate resources throughout the county,” the statement adds. “This includes the monitoring of Austin’s phone, efforts by members of Garfield County Search and Rescue, the listing of Austin in a national database, and an all-police bulletin to be on the lookout for Austin during their routine operations.”
“This does not mean hope is lost,” the statement says, adding, “Austin is known to be in great physical shape and has considerable backcountry skills that he can use to survive.”
Noting that it has been in continuous direct contact with Madsen’s family, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office is asking members of the public to give Madsen’s family members “the space and privacy they need in order to deal with this difficult situation.”
“We encourage the public to contact our office if they encounter or observe anyone matching Austin’s description,” the statement adds, noting that any information or inquiries may be directed to Garfield County Sheriff’s Office at 435-676-2678.
Garfield County Sheriff’s Office also expressed its appreciation for the assistance it has received from Piute County Sheriff’s Office, Sevier County Search and Rescue, Iron County Search and Rescue, U.S. Forest Service, Utah Department of Public Safety and all of the other volunteers and agencies that have assisted in the search for Madsen,
The sheriff’s office added that it will continue to actively investigate any new leads and will provide updates as new information becomes available.
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