Search for Missing Hiker Transitions to Missing Persons Investigation
MEDIA RELEASE Sunday, September 3rd, 2006
TO: Boulder County Area Media
FROM: Cmdr. Phil West #303/441-3621
RE: Search for Missing Hiker Transitions to Missing Persons Investigation
Case #06-5025
This media released supplements the previous media releases from the Sheriff’s Office and provides current details regarding the status of search efforts. Prior media releases may be found on the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office web-site.
The ground search for missing injured hiker Lance Hering, 21, was concluded late Sunday afternoon as the effort now transitions from an active search to a missing persons investigation.
Over 100 people were officially involved with the search Sunday under the auspices of the Sheriff’s Office. Untold others, recruited by family and friends, were involved in private efforts along the Mesa Trail and the open space areas south of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The entities involved in Sunday’s effort included the Boulder Rural Fire Protection District, Alpine Search and Rescue, Boulder City Parks and Open Space, Douglas County Search and Rescue, Front Range Rescue Dogs, Garfield County Search and Rescue, Grand County Search and Rescue, Larimer County Search and Rescue, Rampart Search and Rescue, Summit County Search and Rescue, Western State Search and Rescue, Strasburg Fire Department, High Country Fire Protection District, and personnel from Rocky Mountain National Park. A contingent of 34 retired and active–duty Marines also participated. The Denver Police helicopter assisted for a second day, providing a perspective from the air and using its Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) equipment to look for unattributed heat sources in the heavily-forested and rocky terrain.
Division Chief Dennis Hopper made the decision to call off further ground search efforts after consulting with Sheriff’s Office Emergency Services personnel, search team leaders, and Mr. Lloyd Hering, Lance’s father. The consensus of opinions was that, after five days’ intensive effort, search and rescue personnel had searched every probable location in the Canyon and environs, and on many occasions, had re-searched the same area repeatedly. Physical exhaustion played a role in the decision as well: many of the people had been involved every day since the search began and were physically unable to resume the effort.
Confident that Lance Hering is not within the search perimeter, the Sheriff’s Office is re-focusing investigative efforts. Mr. Lloyd Hering made a personal appeal Sunday afternoon to his son to call home via the television and newspaper reporters present at the scene. Mr. Hering is concerned that the head injury sustained by Lance in his climbing fall late Tuesday night may have affected his memory (much as an earlier fall when he was 11 years old led to a temporary memory loss) and that he may be confused or disoriented. Mr. Hering’s hope is, that with publicity, Lance will see the coverage and call home. The Sheriff’s Office is continuing the investigation, conducting interviews with family and friends, sharing information with other law enforcement agencies, and publicizing the circumstances of the young man’s disappearance. Anyone with information to offer is asked to contact Detective Steve Ainsworth at #303/441-3627.
Photographs of Lance Hering accompany this media release. He is described as a white male, 21 years of age, 6’1” tall, approximately 180#, with close-cropped blond hair in a military style cut, and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a torn black t-shirt and light-colored khaki pants. He sustained a head injury in a climbing fall hours before he disappeared and had a bandage fashioned from the fabric of his shirt wrapped around the wound.
