55-year-old Missouri deputy attorney general who had been missing in Wyoming’s rugged Wind River Range for five days has been rescued alive, shortly after search crews confirmed that he had reached the 13,804-foot summit of Gannett Peak. Shaun Mackelprang was found on Wednesday morning, 26 August, walking in a confused state and severely dehydrated near Scott Lake, about eight and a half miles from the nearest trailhead. Searchers from Sublette County Search and Rescue and Tip Top Search and Rescue gave him intravenous fluids at the scene before flying him by helicopter to a medical facility in Pinedale. The rescue brought an end to a multi-day search across one of the most remote mountain wilderness areas in the United States. The operation began after Mackelprang failed to return from a solo trip to climb Wyoming’s highest mountain.
A difficult climb to the summit
According to Wyoming news outlet Cowboy State Daily, Mackelprang made the trip as part of his goal to climb the highest natural point in all 50 US states. Gannett Peak was the 45th summit on his list. He left on Thursday, 20 August, from the Green River Lakes Trailhead. He set up a campsite in the backcountry before making his final climb towards the summit on Friday, 21 August. Reaching Gannett Peak requires a difficult 35-to-50-mile round trip through rough terrain, including large boulder fields, steep snow slopes and fast-changing mountain weather. Mackelprang reached the 13,804-foot summit on Friday and signed the official peak register, a logbook kept in a protected container at the top. However, strong thunderstorms and quickly changing weather moved through the range during his descent. He became lost in the difficult alpine terrain.
Search teams mobilise
When Mackelprang failed to return as planned over the weekend, his family became worried. His sister Sheila contacted authorities in Wyoming on Sunday, 23 August, starting the emergency search. Deputies from the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office found Mackelprang’s vehicle parked at the Green River Lakes Trailhead. This confirmed that he was still somewhere in the backcountry. The search soon expanded, bringing in ground teams, aerial drone crews and a specialised helicopter team from Tip Top Search and Rescue, a non-profit volunteer group based in western Wyoming. A major breakthrough came when other climbers who had reached Gannett Peak after Mackelprang provided photographs of the peak register. The photos showed that he had reached the summit before disappearing. This helped search coordinators focus on the area between the summit and his campsite. Sublette County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Travis Bingham told Cowboy State Daily that ground crews searched different grid sections using information from hikers and other physical clues. “It was a ground team that was just clearing an area and came upon him,” Bingham told Cowboy State Daily. “There’s not really one smoking gun thing that pointed us there. You just follow the clues.” Mackelprang’s brother, Romel, said the climber may have become confused after walking towards another lake that looked similar to the one where he had originally camped. “They found him wandering at a lake that probably looks similar to the one that his tent was pitched at,” Romel Mackelprang told Cowboy State Daily shortly after learning he had been found. “We don’t know.”
Rescue and recovery in Pinedale
Despite spending five days exposed to high-altitude conditions with very little water, Mackelprang was still able to stand and walk when ground teams found him at about 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday. He was flown to St. John’s Health clinical facilities in Pinedale, where doctors treated him for severe dehydration, exhaustion, bruising and widespread skin injuries. By Thursday, 27 August, his family said his condition had improved significantly. From his hospital room in Pinedale, Mackelprang thanked the search teams who put themselves at risk to find him in statements published by Cowboy State Daily. He gave special thanks to Tip Top Search and Rescue and the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office for being “ready and prepared to stand up for me in my time of need.” “It’s no easy task to put your life on the line for someone else, especially a stranger who has no place in their lives,” Mackelprang said. “These women and men did so without a second thought. May God bless them for their good deeds and compassion.” Officials in Missouri also praised the search effort. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway released a statement thanking the agencies involved in bringing her colleague home safely. “We are thrilled to hear that Deputy Attorney General Shaun Mackelprang has been located,” Hanaway said in a statement released to media organisations. “Our office is beyond grateful for everyone’s prayers and the steadfast work of the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office and drone team, Tip Top Search and Rescue’s volunteers and helicopter crew, and Wyoming State leaders.”
The dangers of Gannett Peak
Mountaineering experts consider Gannett Peak, along with Montana’s Granite Peak, one of the hardest state highpoints to climb in the contiguous United States. Unlike mountains that can be reached by roads or short maintained trails, Gannett Peak requires a multi-day wilderness trip just to reach the base of the summit. Climbers must deal with loose rock and scree, hidden crevasses and sudden cold weather that can send temperatures below freezing even in late August. Mackelprang has worked in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office since May 2021. He previously handled high-profile state legal cases before the Missouri Supreme Court. He remains in Pinedale recovering, while his family prepares for his eventual discharge and return to Missouri.
