A search is underway for Jacob Rigby, 27, who didn’t return Monday morning after hiking in Glacier National Park.
Park rangers were notified at about 2 a.m. Monday that Rigby, a seasonal employee for the Park Service studying exotic plants, hadn’t returned from a day hike and no one knew his whereabouts. Later on park rangers located Rigby’s vehicle at the Fielding Trailhead along U.S. Highway 2 near Bison, east of Essex.
On Monday a search was launched, utilizing several ground teams and two helicopters, yet no clues were uncovered before sundown. Tuesday search efforts were continuing and the Park Service had established an incident management team. Assistance was also coming from the Flathead National Forest and Flathead Valley Search and Rescue.
Rigby is six feet tall, with short and curly brown hair and is a skilled and experienced hiker. After park officials interviewed Rigby’s friends, it is believed that he may have been hiking the high mountain terrain of the southern part of the park. People who may have seen the hiker in the Ole Creek or Park Creek drainages on Sunday are encouraged to contact the park at 406-888-7800 or 406-888-5800.