According to Rocky Mountain National Park officials, a man has gone missing in the Wild Basin area of the destination after walking away from the vehicle he was traveling in with a family member.

Kevin Sypher of Parker, a deputy with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, was first reported missing on April 27. He was later found in the Denver area and reunited with his family two days later. 

UPDATE: Missing El Paso County sheriff’s deputy found

On April 30, Sypher traveled to Rocky Mountain National Park with a family member and was near the Wild Basin Entrance when he reportedly “willing walked away from the vehicle he was traveling in.” The Wild Basin Entrance is located in the southeast portion of the park, just north of the town of Allenspark.

Park rangers located a group of people searching for Sypher on May 1, which prompted the start of an official search effort.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that park staff had seen a man matching the description of Sypher walking west on Wild Basin Road on April 30. With this information, the search continued in the Wild Basin Road area, up the river corridor and at the summer trailhead.

By May 3, a dog team had joined in on the search, as efforts focused in on the Wild Basin summer trailhead to Copeland Falls. This is a relatively short hike when hiked from the summer trailhead, at less than a mile roundtrip.

During the search, another witness came forward — a park visitor who noted they had seen someone matching Sypher’s description near the Wild Basin summer trailhead on May 1.

Additional search efforts yielded no results.

While patrols will be taking place in the area where Sypher is believed to be missing, the official search has been suspended. Park officials say discovery of additional clues may lead to the search resuming.

Sypher is 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds. He’s got gray hair, brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, a blue baseball hat, blue jeans, and cowboy boots.

Anyone who has information related to this case, including those who may believe they have seen Sypher or a clue of his whereabouts, should contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Bureau Tip Line at 888-653-0009. Those who have been in the Wild Basin area since April 30 are also urged to call.