GARFIELD COUNTY, Utah — After nearly a weeklong search for a man who went missing in the backcountry of southern Utah, that search is now being scaled back.
Officials first learned Sunday that Austin Madsen had gone missing, but he had not been seen for days prior. He was originally believed to have been in the Mount Dutton area and then possibly near Black Canyon.
As of Friday, Madsen had not been located, leading the Garfield County Sheriff's Office to say they were switching to a more "passive" search and have suspended air operations and will no longer assign deputies to the search.
"This does not mean hope is lost," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "Austin is known to be in great physical shape and has considerable backcountry skills that he can use to survive."
The search for Madsen continued Thursday through Black Canyon back towards Antimony. Despite the use of drones and rescue teams on foot, horseback and UTVs, they found no signs of him.
While the search will scaled back, teams will still monitor Madsen's phone.
"With extremely low temperatures and wind chills compounding the effects of sub-zero conditions, it is our best hope that Austin Madsen has possibly self-rescued from this situation and has yet to contact authorities or family members," the statement said.
On Tuesday, the sheriff's office found Madsen's 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche in the Dry Hollow area on Mount Dutton, along with help of teams from Sevier and Iron counties, but Madsen himself was not located.
