A 55-year-old Missouri man who vanished after setting out to climb Wyoming's highest peak six days ago has been found alive after reaching the summit of Gannett Peak and becoming disoriented on his way back down.
Shaun Mackelprang was found Wednesday morning near a lake in the Wind River Range, his brother Romel Mackelprang told Cowboy State Daily shortly after the family received the news.
“We just found out, you know, less than a half-hour ago,” Romel said, becoming emotional as he described what the family had learned.
Mackelprang was dehydrated and disoriented when found, Romel said. Searchers started an IV and were preparing to fly him by helicopter to a local medical facility.
The family did not yet know whether he suffered any significant injuries.
“We know he summited on Friday because he signed the book,” Romel said.
That entry in the register atop Gannett Peak was an important piece of the search for Mackelprang, helping rescuers determine that he had successfully reached Wyoming's 13,804-foot summit before something went wrong on the return trip.
“I think what happened is he ... clearly got disoriented coming back down,” Romel said, adding there had been bad weather in the mountains.
Romel stressed the family still doesn't know exactly what happened.
Searchers ultimately found Mackelprang near another lake, away from the lake where his tent had been located.
“They found him wandering at a lake that probably looks similar to the one that his tent was pitched at,” Romel said. “We don't know.”
Sublette County Search and Rescue crews were still in the field Wednesday morning and were not prepared to release additional details ahead of publication.
No. 45
Mackelprang, a deputy attorney general in Missouri, set out Thursday from the Green River Lakes area with plans to climb Gannett Peak.
His brother said Mackelprang expected to summit Friday and hoped to return Saturday.
Romel said his brother has been working his way through the highest points in all 50 states.
“This is number 45,” Romel said.
The family initially wasn't alarmed when Saturday passed without hearing from him. The weather was poor, with thunderstorms in the mountains, and Gannett is a difficult climb.
“We didn't really get real concerned until Sunday,” Romel said.
His sister Sheila made the family's first calls that day and spoke with officials in Wyoming. At first, the family thought the weather simply might have slowed Mackelprang.
“By Tuesday, by yesterday, we knew something was wrong,” Romel said.
Romel said a hiker who summited later photographed the register at the top of Gannett Peak. Mackelprang's name was there.
“My brother signed in on Friday,” he said.
Once rescuers knew Mackelprang had reached the summit and knew where his tent was, Romel said, they could concentrate on the country between the two rather than searching without knowing which direction he traveled.
“So that really limited the scope of the search,” he said.
Crews searched Tuesday before worsening winds forced them to stop, Romel said. They returned early Wednesday.
A little more than an hour before Romel spoke with Cowboy State Daily, they found his brother.
‘Saved My Brother's Life’
Romel, 70, lives in Salt Lake City and is the oldest of four siblings. Shaun is the youngest.
Romel said he hadn't yet been able to speak with his brother Wednesday morning.
Sheila was waiting near the helicopter landing area for Mackelprang to arrive and be transported for medical treatment.
After days of uncertainty, the siblings said they were overwhelmed and grateful to learn that their brother is alive.
Of the rescuers and volunteers who helped find Mackelprange, “They walk on water, as far as I'm concerned” Romel said. “I mean, they have been just phenomenal.”
He said the family watched as volunteers joined professionals in the mountains, with even more showing up Wednesday to help.
“You couldn't ask for better people than the folks who have been there,” Romel said. “They have been so kind and so professional and just so phenomenal.”
“If ever you wonder about the goodness of people, you don't have to go beyond the people up there in your community because they have saved my brother's life,” Romel said.
He doesn't know how much longer his brother could have remained out there.
“There's only so much you can handle,” he said. “So we just are so grateful for everything that everyone has done on his behalf.”
He's Getting A Garmin
There will, however, apparently be a family conversation once Mackelprang recovers.
“I'm going to kick him in the butt when I get back with him,” Romel said. “I'm going to tell him you can't hike these damn things anymore alone.”
Romel is a climber himself and knows how quickly things can go wrong in the mountains. Years ago, he said, he became lost, although in a far less remote area.
His wife subsequently imposed a rule: No more going into places like that alone.
Now Romel has a similar rule in mind for his younger brother.
“His Christmas gift already this year is going to be a Garmin GPS,” he said.
Cowboy State Daily will update this story with additional information from search and rescue officials and Mackelprang's family as it becomes available.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
