Missouri Official Vanishes Five Days on Wyoming's Highest Peak, Found Alive

A 55-year-old Missouri deputy attorney general survived six harrowing days lost in Wyoming's Wind River Range, rescuers say, after successfully reaching the summit of Gannett Peak before losing his way in severe weather on the descent. Shaun Mackelprang was found disoriented and severely dehydrated near Scott Lake on Wednesday morning, prompting an emergency helicopter extraction from one of the most remote and difficult mountains in the Lower 48.

Search crews confirmed Mackelprang actually made it to the 13,804-foot summit on August 21, verifying his climb through his signature in the mountain's summit register book, according to Cowboy State Daily. That detail helped searchers narrow down when things went wrong for him, since he apparently became disoriented sometime during his return trip amid deteriorating mountain weather. The Kansas City Star reports that Mackelprang had started his hike from the Green River Lakes Trailhead in the Bridger-Teton National Forest on August 20, with the Sublette County Sheriff's Office later locating his vehicle parked near the trailhead.

Mackelprang was headed for Gannett Peak as part of a personal quest, according to the sheriff's office, and the mountain represented his 45th U.S. state highpoint in an ongoing effort to reach the tallest geographic point in all 50 states. Highpointing is a pursuit among some hikers, and Gannett Peak stands out as one of the toughest checkmarks on that list. Per the Pinedale website, the peak is considered an alpine mountaineering challenge because of its inaccessibility and difficulty, and it includes five of the largest glaciers in the Rocky Mountains.

A Grueling Route Through Boulder Fields and Ice

Mackelprang's chosen path, the Tourist Creek route, spans roughly 38 to 44 miles round trip with about 8,000 feet of elevation gain, according to Shalee Wanders. The route demands off-trail travel and extensive boulder hopping, and it's often chosen by solo climbers hoping to avoid heavy glacier travel. Gannett Peak hikers more broadly need to use ropes, crampons and ice axes to safely navigate the mountain, per the Kansas City Star.

Mountaineering analyses rank Gannett Peak alongside Montana's Granite Peak as the most arduous state highpoint in the contiguous United States, largely because reaching it requires a 35-to-50-mile round-trip backcountry approach with no shortcuts. Unlike highpoints with drive-up or short-trail access, Gannett demands a multi-day wilderness trek just to get within striking distance of the summit. The range's glaciers have also changed over time: Minor Glacier has retreated about 500 meters since 1966.

Six Days, a Drone Search and a Dawn Rescue

When ground searchers found Mackelprang near Scott Lake on Wednesday morning, he was wandering disoriented away from where his tent was pitched, according to the Pinedale Roundup. His location was roughly 8.5 miles from the trailhead, per the sheriff's release. Rescuers administered an IV before extracting him by helicopter at 9:45 a.m.

The search relied on the Sublette County Sheriff's Office drone team and search and rescue volunteers, per the sheriff's release. Search and rescue operations in the county are handled by Tip Top Search and Rescue, an all-volunteer organization founded in 1980 with roughly 40 trained members who provide short-haul helicopter, drone, and backcountry evacuation services. High-altitude operations on Gannett Peak have run into severe delays before; in July 2025, cliff terrain at 13,400 feet and high winds slowed the recovery of a deceased climber, the same account notes. According to the National Park Service, Buffalo National River ranks #13 among 400+ National Park Service units for annual Search and Rescue incidents, illustrating the broader risks involved in remote outdoor recreation. The National Park Service says park rangers and search-and-rescue personnel respond to approximately 250 emergency incidents each year in Yosemite National Park, underscoring the recurring demands placed on wilderness rescue teams.

A Long Career in Missouri Law Enforcement

Mackelprang has worked in the Missouri Attorney General's Office since 1998 and is a deputy attorney general, according to KSDK. His boss, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, said she was thrilled that Mackelprang had been located, per the Kansas City Star. Hanaway is Missouri's attorney general, while Andrew Bailey is the former attorney general.

Mackelprang's ordeal underscores just how quickly a solo trip into the Wind River Range can turn dangerous, even for an experienced highpointer nearing the end of his 50-state quest. Six days after he vanished during what was meant to be a milestone climb, he was pulled off the mountain alive, a reminder of both his own resilience and the volunteer crews who spend their weekends training for exactly this kind of rescue.