James Pruitt Search Suspended In Rocky Mountain National Park

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, CO -- Search efforts for James Pruitt, 70, of Etowah Tennessee were officially suspended on Friday, March 15, according to a news release from the National Park Service. Pruitt has been missing for more than two weeks, and was suspected to be in the Glacier Gorge area after his car was found at the nearby trailhead on Sunday, March 3.

Pruitt's family reported that they last heard from him around 10 a.m. on Feb. 28. In a previous release, Pruitt's family indicated that this was his third wintertime trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in three years. He arrived in the area on Feb. 22, and had already hiked the Bear Lake area numerous times over the week.

According to the Park Service, more than two feet of snow accumulated in the Glacier Gorge area between Thursday, Feb. 28 and Sunday, March 3. That significant snowfall in mountainous terrain made search efforts challenging, and increased the difficulty in finding clues to Pruitt’s whereabouts. Off snow-packed trails, searchers encountered chest deep snow in numerous areas.

Active search efforts took place March 3 through March 9, explained the latest news release. The overall search area encompassed approximately 15 square miles and included the Glacier Gorge drainage, the Loch Vale drainage and the Glacier Creek drainage. Searchers concentrated their efforts in heavily forested areas near Bear Lake and the Glacier Gorge Trailhead, the Nymph Lake area, Chaos Creek area, the Alberta Falls area,Lake Haiyaha, Mario’s Gully east of Lake Haiyaha and the winter trails to Mills Lake and The Loch.

Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team members were assisted in their efforts by Larimer County Search and Rescue, Rocky Mountain Rescue based in Boulder County, Diamond Peaks Ski Patrol, Douglas County Search and Rescue, Alpine Rescue Team, numerous dog teams from Larimer County Search and Rescue, Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States, and the Colorado Search and Rescue Board. On Tuesday, March 5, a multi-mission aircraft from the State of Colorado assisted efforts with fixed-wing aerial reconnaissance over Sky Pond, Lake Haiyaha, Flattop Mountain and Bierstadt Lake.

The National Park Service reports that it will continue patrols in the search area, and may consider further actions as conditions improve and if more information becomes available.

James Pruitt is still considered a missing person. Park rangers would like to hear from anyone who was in the Glacier Gorge and Bear Lake areas between Thursday, February 28 and March 3, or who may have had contact with Pruitt during his other hikes leading up to February 28. Pruitt may be wearing a blue jacket, red or orange hat and microspikes on hiking boots. Anyone with additional information should call Rocky Mountain National Park at (970) 586-1204.

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