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A Missouri deputy attorney general who disappeared after setting out for Wyoming’s highest peak was found alive Wednesday after six days in the rugged mountain, authorities said.
Shaun Mackelprang was found Wednesday morning near Scott Lake in Wyoming’s Wind River Range after search crews spent days looking for him on the ground and from the air, according to the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office.
Rescuers reached Mackelprang and prepared him to be flown out of the backcountry by helicopter around 9:45 a.m.
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Shaun Mackelprang survived six days in the rugged wilderness in Wyoming’s Wind River Range. (Facebook / Sublette County Sheriff’s Office)
Mackelprang was dehydrated and disoriented when rescuers found him, his brother, Romel Mackelprang, told Cowboy State Daily.
Romel said his brother has been working his way through the highest points in all 50 states, with Gannett Peak, the highest mountain in Wyoming at an elevation of 13,804 feet, next on his list.
“This is number 45,” Romel told the outlet, adding that rescuers found his brother had signed the summit register, meaning it appeared the trouble began during his descent.
Search crews spent days looking for Mackelprang on the ground and from the air. (Facebook / Sublette County Sheriff’s Office)
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He said he did not know how much longer his brother could have survived in the backcountry.
“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.”
It was unclear what kind of trouble Mackelprang ran into during his trek. (Facebook / Sublette County Sheriff’s Office)
Mackelprang set out from the Green River Lakes Trailhead on Aug. 20, 2025, planning to reach Gannett Peak.
The search began after Mackelprang was reported missing and his vehicle was found at the trailhead.
Crews from Tip Top Search and Rescue and the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office searched for Mackelprang with help from the sheriff’s drone team and a rescue helicopter.
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Missouri Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway also celebrated Mackelprang’s rescue.
“We are thrilled to hear that Deputy Attorney General Shaun Mackelprang has been located,” Hanaway said in a statement.
Mackelprang set out from the Green River Lakes Trailhead on Aug. 20 to hike to Gannett Peak. (Facebook / Sublette County Sheriff’s Office)
“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.
The sheriff’s office also thanked hikers and others who shared information about Mackelprang, reviewed photographs and GPS data and helped spread word of his disappearance.
Authorities have not said what happened to Mackelprang during the six days he was missing.
