Andrew Porter, 25, of Asheville, N.C., and Ian Stasko, 25, of Salt Lake City, Utah, have been found deceased, according to an update posted by Porter’s aunt, Lynne Runkle, on a gofundme page set up to assist with costs related to the search and rescue of the two men.
“It is with a broken heart and through tears that I give you this update,” Runkle wrote. “Their bodies were discovered earlier today by Colorado Search and Rescue.”
No other details have been provided.
As of 8 p.m. on Thursday, the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office has not posted any new information regarding the discovery of their bodies on its website.
A massive search operation is under way for two former James Madison University graduates who went missing while elk hunting in southern Colorado.
Andrew Porter, 25, of Asheville, N.C., and Ian Stasko, 25, of Salt Lake City, Utah, were reported missing on Saturday. Both have ties to the Charlottesville-Albemarle County area, according to multiple news reports.
The friends, both business administration majors, were in the San Juan Wilderness Area west of Trujillo Meadows Reservoir, according to the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office.
While on the trip, they were expected to check in with family members every 24 hours.
Their last check-in was on Thursday, Sept. 11. The last ping on a Garmin InReach they had with them was Sept. 11 at 3:39 p.m. near their vehicle.
Fellow hunters reported seeing the hunters on Friday morning at approximately 10 a.m. near the Spruce Hole Trailhead.
Their vehicle was reportedly moved around 11 a.m. Friday back to the Rio De Los Pinos Trailhead and has since been located by search-and-rescue.
According to an update from authorities, the men were equipped with phones, a Garmin InReach, bows, knives, game bags and light hunting gear. They did not have any firearms. Camping gear and backpacks were found in the vehicle.
Fog, cold temperatures and heavy rain came in quickly on Thursday and continued through Saturday night in the area which borders New Mexico.
The hunting trip was scheduled to end on Sept. 16, and they were expected to return home on Sept. 17.
The search for Porter and Stasko has included air and ground teams, dogs, drones, ATV and volunteers. According to the Sheriff’s Office, volunteers from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Wyoming are aiding in the search. There have also been more than 50 teams of professionals on the ground. Each team is made up of three to four individuals on foot or horseback.
Porter’s fiancé, Bridget Murphy, confirmed on social media that the two have not yet been found as of noon today.
“Another morning. Andrew, and Ian, I will not stop until we find you. I will not give up. And these people today are ready to work as hard as possible to find you. We love you. We are here. We won’t stop. Everyone pray for these people going out Today, pray for their strength to keep going. To find our guys,” she wrote on Facebook.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for the person(s) who find the two men. A gofundme has also been set up to aid in the search and rescue efforts. More than $77,000 has been raised to date.
Anyone who may have seen the two men in Colorado is asked to contact the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office at (719)-376-2196.
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Crystal Graham
