Search Efforts Continue For James Pruitt Near Glacier Gorge

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, CO -- Search efforts continued for a fourth day Wednesday as crews looked for James Pruitt, 70, a Tennessee man who hasn't been heard from by his family since last Thursday morning, according to a press release from the National Park Service. On Sunday, search crews found Pruitt's car at the Glacier Gorge trailhead.

According to the 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.

Wednesday's searchers concentrated their efforts in the Lake Haiyaha area, the Chaos Creek area and in heavily forested areas near Bear Lake and the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. On Tuesday, search efforts were focused in the Nymph Lake area, Mario’s Gully east of Lake Haiyaha and the Alberta Falls area. A dog team assisted in the search in the Alberta Falls area. A multi-mission aircraft from the State of Colorado assisted efforts yesterday with fixed-wing aerial reconnaissance over Sky Pond, Lake Haiyaha, Flattop Mountain and Bierstadt Lake.

The overall search area encompasses approximately 15 square miles and includes the Glacier Gorge drainage, the Loch Vale drainage and the Glacier Creek drainage, according to the National Park Service. Approximately 30 people were involved in Wednesday’s operations including 16 in the field, while on Tuesday, approximately 35 people were in the field.

Off of packed trails, the press release indicated that searchers are frequently encountering chest deep snow. Wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour are predicated for today as well as additional snowfall. There was more than two feet of snow accumulation in the Glacier Gorge area between Thursday, Feb. 28 and Sunday, March 3. According to the park service, the recent snowfall and mountainous terrain may make finding clues to Pruitt’s whereabouts even more difficult.

Pruitt may be wearing a blue jacket, red or orange hat and microspikes on hiking boots. Park rangers would like to hear from anyone who has been in the Glacier Gorge and Bear Lake areas since Thursday, February 28, or who may have had contact with Pruitt during his other hikes leading up to February 28. Those with information can Rocky Mountain National Park at (970) 586-1204.

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