Missing Elk Hunters Found Dead, Ending Massive 6-Day Search in Southern Colorado

The intense search effort for two missing elk hunters in southern Colorado came to an end Thursday, when rescuers with Colorado Search and Rescue found both Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko deceased, according to an update from Porter’s aunt, Lynne Runkle.

“It is with a broken heart and through tears that I give you this update,” Runkle posted Thursday on the GoFundMe page she had organized to help pay for the search. “Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko have both been found deceased. Their bodies were discovered earlier today by Colorado Search and Rescue … Please keep Andrew’s and Ian’s families in your thoughts and prayers.”

Crews found the two bodies in the Rio Grande National Forest, the Denver Post reports, capping off a six-day search that involved multiple agencies and groups of volunteers. CORSAR has not issued any information about where the two bodies were found, and officials have not released any details about a cause of death.

As OL reported Wednesday, Porter and Stasko, both 25 years old, had traveled to Colorado from Asheville, North Carolina, and Salt Lake City, Utah, respectively, to hunt elk on national forest land in Game Management Unit 81. Porter’s fiancé, Bridget Murphy, said she had lost electronic communication with them on September 11. They were reported missing on Sept. 12, and search-and-rescue efforts began on Sept. 13.

Search crews found their vehicle locked at the Rio de Los Pinos Trailhead, with their packs and camping gear still inside it. This location was also the last ping that Murphy had received from Porter’s device, according to the Post. Search efforts ramped up from there, with more than 50 search teams in the field by Wednesday.  

According to an update that Murphy provided on Facebook that same day, two other hunters had reported seeing the missing hunters Friday morning. They discussed a large bull that the two nonresidents had spotted. Severe weather moved in over the weekend, raising concerns about their survival in the rugged area.

“We are here. We won’t stop,” Murphy posted Thursday morning as another day of searching started. “These people today are ready to work as hard as possible to find you.”

Runkle wrote in her GoFundMe post that she would provide another update Friday. The GoFundMe page had raised more than $78,000 as of press time.