The search for a missing Ogden conservationist Kim Crumbo in Yellowstone National Park transitioned from a rescue to a recovery effort on Friday, the National Park Service announced.
Crumbo, 74, and his half-brother Mark O’Neill, 67, were reported overdue from a four-night backcountry trip on Sunday. O’Neill’s body was found Monday along the east shore of Shoshone Lake, the second-largest lake in Yellowstone. His cause of death has not yet been determined, according to a news release.
Crews have “swept all the trails in the area” over the last five days and also searched the entire shoreline of the lake by boat for Crumbo, gridding the open water by helicopter, the release states. They continue to search by foot and boat, and on Friday, crews with the National Park Service Submerged Research Center started using sonar equipment to search for clues in the water.
“Recovery efforts will continue for the next several days as conditions warrant,” the release states. “This incident remains under investigation. While we cannot comment further about the specifics of this investigation, we will provide updates when appropriate to do so.”
Both Crumbo and O’Neill were retired from the National Park Service. Crumbo’s two decades of service included working as the river ranger and wilderness coordinator in Grand Canyon National Park, as well as a park ranger. The former Navy SEAL has also advocated for the protection of wild places with several conservation groups in Utah and across the West.
People with information that could help investigators may contact the National Park Service at 307-344-2428 or yell_tip@nps.gov.
