Latest news with #BlakeKieckhafer
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Search underway for 23-year-old who disappeared in Rocky Mountain National Park after being dropped off by rideshare
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A search and rescue operation is underway after a 23-year-old man was reported missing from Rocky Mountain National Park. The National Park Service reports that crews are searching for Blake Kieckhafer of Omaha, Nebraska, after family members reported him missing on Monday, August 11. According to social media appeals from family members, Kieckhafer had traveled by himself to Colorado and left his car at a Walmart parking lot in Greeley before taking an Uber into the park. He was dropped off at approximately 5:20pm on Thursday, August 7 in the Upper Beaver Meadows area, around a mile west of Beaver Meadows Entrance on the east side of the park. He has not been seen or heard from since. Kieckhafer doesn't appear to have been adequately equipped for spending the night in the wild, with the NPS reporting he was dressed in a dark-colored T-shirt, pants and a baseball cap with no logo, and carrying only a small maroon daypack. Kieckhafer is described as 5'11,' tall and weighs 180lbs. He has buzzed/short blonde hair and a mustache, and blue/green eyes. The NPS requests that anyone with information as to Kieckhafer's whereabouts call or text them at (888) 653 0009, or submit a tip at There are currently several missing persons cases in Rocky Mountain National Park, including trail runner Chad Pallansch, 48, who disappeared in October 2023, and 70-year-old James Pruitt, who vanished in 2019. Human remains were discovered on the Alpine Ridge Trail in June, but officials have not yet confirmed identification. The best emergency blankets, bags and shelters: lightweight lifesaving gear The best hiking boots: protect your feet on any trail with our top choices Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Nebraska man missing after being dropped off at Colorado national park by rideshare
A 23-year-old man from Nebraska is missing in Colorado 's Rocky Mountain National Park and a search for him is underway. Blake Kieckhafer, 23, of Omaha, was reported missing to National Park Service rangers by his family on August 11, according to the department. "He was last seen in the Upper Beaver Meadows area of Rocky Mountain National Park on Thursday, August 7 around 5:20 p.m. when he was dropped off by a ride share service," the NPS said in a news release. Upper Beaver Meadows Road is approximately a mile west of the Beaver Meadows park entrance near Highway 36 in the eastern portion of the park, according to the NPS. Kieckhafer was last seen dressed in a dark-colored t-shirt and pants and wearing a dark-colored baseball cap without a logo. He was reportedly carrying a small, maroon daypack with him. He is believed to be approximately 180 pounds and 5'11 with buzzed blonde hair, a mustache, and blue-green eyes. 'If you have information that could help investigators or if you have seen Blake Kieckhafer, please contact us,' the NPS said. 'You don't have to tell us who you are, but please tell us what you know.' Anyone with information on Kieckhafer's whereabouts can contact the NPS Investigative Service Branch on Facebook, by visiting the NPS's website, or by calling 888-653-0009. Despite the expansive and rugged terrain, Rocky Mountain National Park has had very few instances of people disappearing within its borders, according to the Colorado Sun. In 2023, Chad Pallansch, 48, was doing a 28-mile run through the park when he disappeared. Though a search was conducted, it was called off after two weeks. In 2019, another man, James Pruitt, went missing in the park. The 70-year-old was visiting from Tennessee when a storm hit the area where he was hiking. A search was conducted but was called off after six days.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Fears for missing man, 23, who vanished after getting a CAB to Rocky Mountain National Park
A 23-year-old Nebraska man is still missing after he mysteriously deserted his car and took an Uber to Rocky Mountain National Park. Blake Kieckhafer of Omaha has not been seen since Thursday, August 7, when he was last spotted at around 5.20 pm in the vicinity of the Colorado national park. 'Rocky Mountain National Park rangers began search efforts for Blake Kieckhafer, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska. Kieckhafer was reported missing to park rangers by family on Monday, August 11,' an official statement from Rocky Mountain National Park said. His family members are growing more desperate by the day to bring him home and are frantically posting on social media in the hope that someone has information. Kieckhafer's brother Justin said that his debit card transactions indicated that he made a purchase at O'Reilly's - an auto parts store - at around 2.30 pm that Thursday. Justin shared on Facebook that his family believe he may have been having car trouble, which would explain the O'Reilly's purchase. Kieckhafer's debit card was then used at a gas station in North Platte, Nebraska, before he allegedly got into an Uber. He was last seen in the Upper Beaver Meadows area of Rocky Mountain National Park that evening, when he was dropped off by the ride share service, according to the statement from Rocky Mountain National Park. Kieckhafer's family members are growing more desperate by the day to bring him home and are frantically posting on social media in the hopes that someone has information. His family say that he purchased a day pass to Rocky Mountain National Park, which was scanned on Thursday evening at around 6pm. Kieckhafer has not used his phone or debit card since last Thursday, according to family members. 'My heart is completely broken right now. There are no words to express how I feel, his mother Lisa Klabunde said on Facebook. 'I want to thank everyone for sharing Blake's post and getting it out there so we can find him.' 'I just want my son home,' she said in a separate post. Kieckhafer is 5'11 and weights 180 lbs. He has buzzed short blonde hair, a mustache and blue/green eyes. According to his 'missing person' poster, Kieckhafer was wearing a dark-colored t-shirt, dark-colored pants and a dark-colored baseball cap. He was carrying a small maroon day pack. People online have questioned why he took a ride share service and why his family did not report him missing earlier. His brother explained: 'We reported him not being home on Saturday with the police force in our county in Omaha. They told us that they couldn't report him until 7 days due to him being an adult.' Justin added that his brother has never done anything like this before and has never not informed anyone of his intentions or plans, which is why his family finds the situation especially strange.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Colorado crews search for missing hiker from Nebraska in Rocky Mountain National Park
Crews in Colorado continued their search in Rocky Mountain National Park for a missing hiker from Nebraska. Blake Kieckhafer, of Omaha, Neb., was reported missing to park rangers by family on Monday. Kieckhafer, 23, was last seen in the Upper Beaver Meadows area of the park on Thursday, Aug. 7 around 5:20 p.m. when he was dropped off by a ride share service. Upper Beaver Meadows Road is about one mile west of the Beaver Meadows Entrance along U.S. Highway 36 on the east side of the park. According to RMNP, Kieckhafer was last seen wearing a dark-colored T-shirt, dark-colored pants, and a dark-colored baseball cap with no logo. He was carrying a small, maroon daypack. Kieckhafer is described as 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, with buzzed/short blonde hair and a mustache, and blue/green eyes. Additional Information from Rocky Mountain National Park: If you have information that could help investigators or if you have seen Blake Kieckhafer, please contact us. You don't have to tell us who you are, but please tell us what you know. CALL or TEXT the National Park Service Investigative Services Bureau Tip Line 888-653-0009, ONLINE at or EMAIL.
