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A Missouri deputy attorney general has been found alive nearly a week after he vanished during a solo hiking trip to Wyoming’s tallest mountain.
Shaun Mackelprang, 55, was spotted at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday near Scott Lake in western Wyoming’s Wind River Range, according to the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office.
“Mackelprang was located this morning in the vicinity of Scott Lake following an extensive search effort utilizing ground search teams, the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office Drone Team, and Tip Top Search and Rescue’s helicopter,” the sheriff’s office said.
He was airlifted to safety by helicopter and later reunited with his loved ones.
Mackelprang began his hike Aug. 20 from the Green River Lakes Trailhead and headed toward Gannett Peak, Wyoming’s highest mountain at 13,804 feet.
Mackelprang reached Gannett Peak’s summit two days later, but his family still does not know exactly what happened.
He was dehydrated when rescuers found him and apparently became disoriented on the way down from the summit amid bad weather, his brother, Romel, told Cowboy State Daily.
The Wind River Range was battered by thunderstorms and strong winds during Mackelprang’s trek.
Crews raced to find Mackelprang after his rental car was found at the trailhead, with the search intensifying as the days passed.
The sheriff’s office announced the search Tuesday and urged the public to share information that could help find him.
“We also sincerely thank the public and backcountry users who shared information, reviewed photographs and GPS data, shared the missing-person information, and helped get the word out,” the sheriff’s office added.
Mackelprang has been working his way toward the highest point in all 50 states, with Romel saying, “This is number 45.”
Missouri Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway also shared her relief after Mackelprang was found.
“We are thrilled to hear that Deputy Attorney General Shaun Mackelprang has been located,” Hanaway wrote in a social media post.
“Our office is beyond grateful for everyone’s prayers and the steadfast work of the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office and drone team, Tip Top Search and Rescue’s volunteers and helicopter crew, and Wyoming State leaders,” she added.
Mackelprang has worked in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office since May 2021.
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