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A 23-year-old woman who went missing in the mountains of Montana earlier this month is likely dead and rescuers will begin to scale back search efforts, authorities said on Saturday.
Tatum Morell last called his family using a satellite device on the evening of July 1 before heading the next day to the West Fork Trailhead near the town of Red Lodge, Red Lodge Fire said. Rescue in a press release. The trailhead is located in south central Montana near the Wyoming border.
THE MONTANA AUTHORITIES ARE LOOKING FOR A MISSING HIKER FOR 5 DAYS
Rescuers launched a search for the 23-year-old when she did not return on July 5. But after a week-long search, officials say it’s unlikely she is still alive.
“Sadly, there are hundreds of thousands of places the Tate could have gotten into trouble on these rugged mountains when the storms hit the area on Friday,” said Tom Kuntz, incident commander at Red Lodge Fire. Rescue. “After intensive research efforts, we don’t think she survived.”
The search for missing hiker Tatum Morell, 23, will be curtailed after officials said on Saturday that she was unlikely to be alive.
(Carbon County Sheriff’s Office – Montana / Facebook)
Morell has been described as a “passionate and experienced hiker” with a lifetime of backcountry travel experience with her family and alone.
“Tate was a fiercely independent and adventurous soul who loved the mountains,” his family said in a statement. “We find some comfort in knowing that she passed away in a place she loved.”
Morell had planned to climb five peaks over 12,000 feet high in the West Fork of Rock Creek near Red Lodge, officials said. On July 2, she left her tent at Shadow Lake and set off to the top of a 12,000-foot peak. She never returned to her tent.
Rescuers said the 23-year-old is believed to have “had a tragic accident” and was unable to activate her inReach communications device.
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Since July 5, rescuers have said search teams have combed the rugged mountains that rise above 12,000 feet, navigating dangerous terrain filled with fields of boulders, waist-high boulders. of a car, scree fields and snowfields.
Rescuers and Morell’s family believe the 23-year-old is unlikely to be alive, officials said search efforts will continue on a limited but continuous basis to investigate specific areas with the help of trained rescuers and search dog teams.
Bradford Betz of Fox News contributed to this report.
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