On September 4, 1940, a 25-year-old geological surveyor named Lynn Verl Simmons was working with a team of three others high on Lamotte Peak in Summit County, Utah. At an elevation of approximately 12,700 feet, the group was caught in an unexpected storm that rolled in around 2:00 p.m. Faced with the sudden change in weather, the four men began their descent towards their spike camp, located at the head of Boundary Peak.
As they made their way down, Simmons started to lag behind the rest of his crew.
The last time his coworkers saw him, Lynn Simmons was navigating the saddle of Lamotte Peak, moving along a long, rocky ridge towards Bald Ridge, which was about a half-mile from the peak. They exchanged waves with him before continuing on, expecting him to follow. However, Simmons never made it back to the camp and has not been seen or heard from since that day. At the time of his disappearance, he was a husband and a father to a young son, living with his family in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In the days and weeks that followed Simmons's disappearance, severe weather continued to plague the mountainous region, with several storms dropping six to eight inches of snow. This heavy snowfall significantly hampered the search efforts, making it incredibly difficult for search parties to navigate the rugged terrain and look for any trace of the missing surveyor. A two-week search was conducted, but unfortunately, it yielded no clues as to his whereabouts. It is presumed that he may have become lost or injured in the vast wilderness. The case eventually went cold, with official records of the initial search becoming lost over time. For many years, the details of what happened remained largely unknown even to his surviving relatives, until recent interest brought new attention to his case.Last Seen: Sep 4, 1940
