A Missouri deputy attorney general who vanished while attempting to reach Wyoming’s highest summit was found alive Wednesday, ending a tense six-day search across some of the most punishing wilderness in the American West.
The rescue brought enormous relief to his family, colleagues and crews who refused to quit, as reported by Fox News.
Shaun Mackelprang was located Wednesday morning near Scott Lake in the rugged Wind River Range, according to the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Attorney General Shaun Mackelprang was found alive Wednesday morning near Scott Lake in the Wind River Range.
DETAILS: https://t.co/i3qoZ8qv6S [1] pic.twitter.com/CEABK4o5Nv [2]
— FOX2now (@FOX2now) August 26, 2026 [3]
Search teams had spent days combing the vast region from the ground and air as concern mounted about his condition.
Rescuers reached Mackelprang and began preparing him for evacuation from the backcountry by helicopter at about 9:45 a.m.
Finding him alive after nearly a week in the mountains was the outcome everyone had prayed for, but no one could take for granted.
Mackelprang was dehydrated and disoriented when crews finally reached him, his brother, Romel Mackelprang, told Cowboy State Daily.
The precise nature of the trouble he encountered remains unclear, leaving authorities and family members to piece together how his ambitious climb became a survival ordeal.
Romel said his brother has been steadily pursuing the highest points in all 50 states.
Gannett Peak, which rises to 13,804 feet and stands as Wyoming’s tallest mountain, was next on a list that few casual hikers would dare attempt.
“This is number 45,” Romel told the outlet.
Rescuers reportedly determined that Mackelprang had signed the register at the summit, suggesting that he successfully reached the top before something went seriously wrong during his descent.
That detail narrowed the mystery but did not explain how Mackelprang became stranded near Scott Lake. Mountain descents can be every bit as dangerous as the climb, particularly in isolated terrain where weather, injury, exhaustion or one wrong turn can quickly become a life-threatening crisis.
Romel acknowledged that his brother may not have been able to endure the conditions much longer. “There’s only so much you can handle,” Romel said.
“So we just are so grateful for everything that everyone has done on his behalf.”
Mackelprang began his trip from the Green River Lakes Trailhead on Aug. 20, 2025, intending to reach Gannett Peak.
When he failed to return and was reported missing, authorities located his vehicle at the trailhead and launched an intensive search operation.
Personnel from Tip Top Search and Rescue and the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office took part in the mission.
They were supported by the sheriff’s drone team and a rescue helicopter, combining modern equipment with the grit of volunteers navigating a landscape that offers little room for mistakes.
The operation continued for days as crews searched from above and worked through the wilderness on foot.
It was the kind of patient, determined public safety effort that rarely gets enough credit, especially when rescuers put themselves in difficult conditions to bring a stranger home.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway celebrated the news after Mackelprang was located.
“We are thrilled to hear that Deputy Attorney General Shaun Mackelprang has been located,” Hanaway said in a statement.
Missouri Deputy Attorney General Shaun Mackelprang was found alive Wednesday after six days missing in Wyoming’s Wind River Range — dehydrated, disoriented, but breathing.
Mackelprang had set out to summit Gannett Peak, Wyoming’s tallest mountain at 13,804 feet, as part of a… pic.twitter.com/5XbeZi9dzV [4]
— Fox News US (@FoxUSNews) August 27, 2026 [5]
“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,” Hanaway added.
Her statement reflected the widespread gratitude surrounding a rescue that could easily have ended in tragedy.
The sheriff’s office also thanked hikers and members of the public who provided information, reviewed photographs and examined GPS data during the search.
Others helped circulate word of Mackelprang’s disappearance, giving the mission broader reach while trained crews focused on the mountain.
Authorities have not yet explained what happened during the six days Mackelprang was missing. For now, the most important fact is simple: an unforgiving mountain tested him, rescue crews answered the call, and Mackelprang made it out alive.