A search and rescue operation ended tragically on Thursday, as the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office located the body of a hunter who went missing south of Rawlins.
Bruce Baugh left his Rawlins home at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday to hunt elk in the Bridger Pass/Miller Hill area. He was supposed to be home by 11 a.m. that morning but hadn’t been seen or heard from since then.
On Thursday evening, Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken announced that Baugh’s body had been found in a remote area of the Sage Creek Basin. He was 1.5 miles away from his vehicle, a lifted white 1970s-model Chevrolet Suburban.
“It appears that his vehicle had become stuck, and he had attempted to hike,” Bakken wrote in a Thursday evening update on the search. “Our thoughts are with Mr. Baugh's many friends and family during this extremely difficult time.”
Heading The Call
The search for Baugh started early Thursday morning. Bakken said over twenty Carbon County Search and Rescue volunteers assisted in the search for Baugh, including Classic Air Rescue and an individual who lent their private plane to the effort.
“A very heartfelt thank you goes out to all of our Search and Rescue Volunteers who took time away from their families this Thanksgiving to help us search for one of our community members,” Bakken wrote.
The cause of death has not been released, and the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office was not available for comment at the time of publication.
“Please keep Mr. Baugh's family in your thoughts,” Bakken wrote.
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
