DENVER — The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a 28-year-old after he didn’t show up to work Tuesday.
Hunter Hyde’s coworkers requested a welfare check from the sheriff’s office at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 25 after becoming concerned he hadn’t answered anyone and hadn’t come to work earlier in the day.
The Basalt Police Department and the sheriff’s office went to Hyde’s home in the Emma area, which is about two miles southwest of Basalt, and he was nowhere to be found.
Several agencies searched the area, including a hiking trail Hyde was known to use frequently, but they had to suspend the search once they lost daylight.
The search resumed at 9 a.m. Wednesday and expanded to a 10 square mile search area, including accessible backcountry trails and area roads. All searchers were pulled from the field by 4 p.m.
Around 9 a.m. Thursday, deputies returned to Hyde's home and searched the area, along with adjoining properties. Much of the area was covered by aerial searches Wednesday. However, authorities say the ground search allowed for a more detailed search.
No further signs of Hyde were discovered. Deputies completed Thursday's search operations at 3 p.m.
Authorities continued the search for Hyde Friday. Deputies, members of Mountain Rescue Aspen and a canine search team from Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States (SARDUS) searched the area around Hyde's home to recanvas some of the areas previously searched, the sheriff's office said in an update.
Searchers hoped that by bringing in different canines, they would be able to pick up on something the previous canines missed. However, the sheriff's office said nothing was found.
Search teams also moved into areas further away from Hyde's house Friday. The sheriff's office said those areas had been searched by air resources but had not yet been visited by teams on the ground.
Friday's search operations were completed at 4:45 p.m. More search efforts are planned for the coming days.
Hyde was last seen the evening of Jan. 24 at his home in Emma. He’s described as a 5-foot-11, 175 pound white man with longer brown hair.
Anyone who has seen him or has any idea of his whereabouts is asked to call the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office at (970) 920-5300.