Katharina Buczek
After making those calls, Austin was never seen or heard from again.
Three days later, Austin did not show up for his scheduled boat pickup on September 20. At that point, he was reported to the Yellowstone Interagency Communications Center.
The next day, widespread searches were launched by the National Park Service. According to Austin’s father, Brian King-Henke, authorities used all the resources they could.
“They have everything you could possibly think of [out there]. Helicopters, drones, searchers, dogs, equipment, and people in boats along shorelines. They threw everything they had at it,” he detailed.
Upon learning of his son’s disappearance, Brian also spent days in Yellowstone as the search unfolded. He has since gone back to Winona, where he continues holding onto hope that Austin will be found.
Authorities recovered Austin’s camp and personal belongings in the region of upper Howell Creek. However, his whereabouts remain unknown, and the National Park Service claimed that Austin’s rescue had been transitioned to a recovery mission on October 2.
“After 11 days of searching, Yellowstone National Park will scale back efforts to locate Austin King in the vicinity of Eagle Peak and transition from a rescue to recovery today, Oct. 2.,” the National Park Service said in a press release.
“To date, more than 100 personnel, including two helicopters, search dog teams, ground teams with spotting scopes, trackers, and a drone, have searched more than 3,225 miles by air and ground at elevations ranging from 11,350 feet to 8,400 feet. Unfortunately, they have not found any definitive clues as to King’s current whereabouts.”
Nonetheless, Brian refuses to give up until he receives “that final call.”
“I haven’t got the call yet to say he’s no longer with us. I’ve seen the impossible [become] possible, so I’m going to hold on to that hope until one day…,” he trailed off.
If Austin is no longer alive, Brian claimed that he would “accept it.”
