The weeklong search for two missing elk hunters in southern Colorado ended Thursday when crews recovered the bodies of two men, closing a massive rescue operation.
The Conejos County Sheriff’s Office said the bodies were found Thursday, about two miles from the Rio de los Pinos trailhead,a remote area in the Rio Grande National Forest near the New Mexico border. Sheriff Garth Crowther confirmed the discovery in a news release, stating that the identities would remain unconfirmed until the coroner finalized identification and notified the next of kin.
Family members said the bodies belonged to Andrew Porter, 25, of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko, 25, of Salt Lake City. Porter and Stasko had last been heard from on September 11, when Porter’s satellite messaging device stopped transmitting, prompting the search that began soon after.
Porter’s aunt, Lynne Runkle, who organized a GoFundMe page to fund the search, posted Thursday: “It is with a broken heart that I give you this update. Andrew and Ian have both been found deceased. Their bodies were discovered today by Colorado Search and Rescue. Please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers.”
The hunters’ disappearance on September 11 launched a large-scale search effort over the following week, involving dozens of professional teams, volunteers, dogs, drones, and helicopters. By midweek, the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office said more than 50 teams were searching, with participants from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Wyoming.
Murphy, Porter’s fiancée, told The Colorado Sun that he had been regularly checking in with her and his family until the afternoon of September 11. His final message came from near Stasko’s vehicle at the Rio de los Pinos trailhead. Witnesses saw the two on the morning of September 12 at the Spruce Hole trailhead, where they appeared to be heading back into the forest after spotting a bull elk.
The rugged Game Management Unit 81, where the men hunted, features challenging terrain and attracts many elk hunters in September.
Nonresidents pay more to hunt big game in Colorado, a top U.S. elk hunting destination.
Porter’s family used social media to share updates and rally support. “We know they’re strong. We just keep praying,” Murphy wrote in one update.
By Thursday, September 14, donations to the GoFundMe campaign had topped $78,000, reflecting the widespread attention the case garnered. Funds originally raised to support rescue efforts are now expected to support the families of the victims.
Officials said the investigation remains ongoing, with autopsies scheduled following Thursday’s recovery to determine the cause and manner of death. So far, authorities have not indicated signs of foul play.
The discovery concluded a search marked by community support and professional expertise, leaving two families mourning the loss of men remembered as seasoned outdoorsmen who loved exploring wild places.