Kim H. Crumbo, a 74-year-old from Ogden, Utah, was last seen in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, on September 12, 2021. Crumbo, an experienced outdoorsman and former U.S. Navy SEAL, embarked on a four-night backcountry canoe trip on Shoshone Lake with his 67-year-old half-brother, Mark O'Neill, of Chimacum, Washington. A family member reported the men overdue on September 19, 2021, after they failed to return from their trip, prompting a search and rescue operation by the National Park
Service.
Initial search efforts led to the discovery of a vacant campsite with a tent on the south side of Shoshone Lake. Along the lake's eastern shore, crews found a canoe, a paddle, a personal flotation device, and other personal items. On September 20, 2021, the body of Mark O'Neill was found on the east shore of the lake. An autopsy later determined that O'Neill's cause of death was hypothermia. Shoshone Lake is known for its cold water, with an average temperature of around 48 degrees Fahrenheit, where survival time is estimated to be only 20 to 30 minutes. The lake is also prone to sudden high winds that can create dangerous waves.
Despite an extensive search for Crumbo, he was not located. The search involved a 10-person ground crew, a helicopter from Grand Teton National Park, boats, and later, sonar equipment to scan the depths of the lake. After five days, the operation transitioned from a rescue to a recovery effort on September 24, 2021. By early October 2021, Yellowstone National Park officials announced they were scaling back the search and recovery efforts, though limited searches would continue as conditions allowed. The investigation into the incident remains open, and as of late 2023, Crumbo has not been found.
Kim Crumbo was a highly respected and accomplished individual. He served two combat tours in Vietnam as a Navy SEAL. Following his military service, he dedicated his life to conservation and the outdoors, working for two decades with the National Park Service at the Grand Canyon as a river ranger and wilderness coordinator. He was a board member of The Rewilding Institute and Wild Arizona, and was a citizen member of the Potawatomi Tribe. His friends and colleagues remembered him as a "hero" and a "legend" in the conservation community, holding out hope for his survival due to his vast outdoor skills.Last Seen: Sep 12, 2021
