Efforts to locate missing hiker Larry Conn have been suspended. The search of likely areas lasted for eight days, utilizing 56 personnel from multiple agencies – ten ground search teams, three dog teams, and five helicopters and crews. Conn began a four-day trip into the rugged wilderness of Kings Canyon National Park at Taboose Pass on October 19th, where he was last seen by an outbound hiker. A winter storm arrived in the area on the evening of October 20th and deposited up to 12 inches of snow. Conn was reported overdue to the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department on the evening of October 23rd and the Sheriff’s Department confirmed his vehicle was still at the trailhead. On October 24th, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department notified the National Park Service; search operations began later that day and continued through October 31st. Environmental conditions were challenging in the search area, which covered 48 square miles of mountainous terrain. Elevations ranged from 8,000 to 14,000 feet. Nighttime temperatures dropped to as low as 15 degrees, and snowdrifts made travel by foot difficult. Two searchers were evacuated by helicopter due to medical concerns related to environmental conditions. The incident management team, with the assistance of the state search and rescue coordinator, reviewed operations and decided to suspend the active search due to lack of information and any additional clues.

Contact Information
Name: Dana Dierkes, Public Affairs Officer