David Francis first reached out to King-Henke last autumn. “I thought, the foundation might be able to do a search here,” he said.
Yellowstone officials have shared with Francis and Daigle-Berg maps and drone data from last year’s search. They’ve also met separately with a second group led partly by Bill Dohse, who runs a search business in Cody, Wyo., called Find-911. Both private groups also have met to share information.
Yellowstone will allow the searchers to undertake otherwise prohibited activities, such as using drones and dogs in the backcountry, according to a park spokesperson Linda Veress.
“It is not unusual for us to coordinate with private searches. ... The circumstances of each missing person case are different,” she said.
Park employees continue to look for King, too, when they are near Eagle Peak. They also plan their own search later this summer or fall, Veress added.
A view of campsite 6D8 and Eagle Peak during the search for Austin King last September. (Jacob W. Frank, National Park Service)
The foundation’s search will cost $60,000, Francis said. It will use mules and horses Aug. 12 to haul gear and food into the high country, including a satellite system, data-collection devices, and seven days’ food.