Missing Missouri official found after days in Wyoming wilderness

Police in rural western Wyoming safely recovered one of Missouri’s deputy attorney generals on Wednesday after he went missing last week. The Sublette County Sheriff's Office located missing hiker Shaun Mackelprang after an extensive search-and-rescue effort, the sheriff’s office reported. The 55-year-old set off on a solo backpacking trip last Thursday bound for Gannett Peak, the state’s highest mountain peak.

Police did not share who reported Mackelprang missing or when the search formally began. Officials began searching after receiving a missing persons report and locating Mackelprang's vehicle at a trailhead, the sheriff’s office said. Crews located the missing man near Scott Lake, about 15 miles from his starting point, and several miles southwest of Gannett Peak.

Rescue workers extracted Mackelprang from the backcountry via helicopter on Wednesday morning, the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office reported. The sheriff’s office thanked members of the public and other backcountry enthusiasts for sharing information, photographs, and GPS data that aided the investigation. WORLD reached out to the Sublette County Sheriff’s office for more details about the rescue. This story will be updated with any response received.

Have Missouri officials said anything? Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway released a Wednesday statement celebrating Mackelprang's recovery, reporting that her whole office was thrilled. She thanked local and state officials, along with volunteer rescue crews searching on foot and in the air with drones and helicopters.