Crews searching for missing Broomfield hiker in Two Buttes State Wildlife Area

Brooklyn DanceAugust 31, 2021 at 11:45 a.m.

A search is underway for a 28-year-old Broomfield man who hasn't been seen since midnight Sunday while camping in southeast Colorado.

Approximately 30 people from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Baca County Sheriff's Office as well as volunteers and firefighters are searching for the hiker in the Two Buttes State Wildlife Area after officials were notified Monday evening.

Crews are using a drone to search land in the area and Colorado Parks and Wildlife is using a boat with sonar to search the water, according to a tweet from the state wildlife agency.

The wildlife area, about 40 miles south of Lamar, encompasses 8,533 acres.

Friends of the hiker say a large group was swimming in a pond below the dam and jumping from cliffs late Sunday, the tweet reads. The man's vehicle and personal belongings were recovered at the scene.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Marine Evidence Recovery Team searched until 2 a.m. Wednesday before stopping for the night, and resuming Wednesday morning, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Bill Vogrin said.

A group of about 100 family and friends of the missing hiker assembled in the wildlife area Wednesday morning to conduct a ground search, Vogrin added.

The man's identity has not yet been released.

ALERT: A search is underway for a missing camper at Two Buttes State Wildlife Area, about 40 miles south of Lamar in far SE CO. @COParksWildlife was notified Monday evening that a 28-year-old Broomfield man had not been seen by his companions since midnight Sunday. (1 of 3) pic.twitter.com/BccMwJryg1

— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) August 31, 2021