HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. – The search for missing Littleton police officer and young father Steven Beare could soon be coming to a close without a resolution, his wife said Tuesday.
Olivia Beare wrote on the Facebook page organized to help find her husband, who has been missing on Russia’s Mt. Elbrus since June 16, that Russian search crews would be calling off their search Wednesday evening if they don’t find Steven.
An experienced American mountaineer the family hired to help with the search efforts, Don Bowie, told Mrs. Beare that crews “have searched longer and harder than they typically do.”
“There is just too much snow and harsh weather conditions to continue,” Olivia wrote. “The mountain is so large and there are 1000s of crevasse[s] he could have fallen into that are covered spanning 100s of square miles.”
Bowie’s teams and Russian crews have been searching the mountain since last week trying to find Beare, who is also a National Guard member. He was attempting to make his first solo ascent on Europe’s highest mountain when a storm blew in and he went missing.
His goal was to climb the world’s seven highest peaks. After climbing Mt. Kiliminjaro, Mt. Elbrus was second on his list.
Mrs. Beare has been working nonstop from their home in Highlands Ranch to find her husband. She organized to bring in Bowie, and the two private helicopters. Beare has a 20-month-old and is pregnant with the couple's second child.
She said her husband had planned to summit the mountain in a day, as he didn’t bring a sleeping bag with him.
Rescue teams again searched Tuesday, one day after ground crews spent the day navigating the mountain in search of Beare.
But Bowie told Mrs. Beare on Tuesday that he may continue the search despite Russian crews dropping out.
“Don is going to be taking his search day by day and has not given me a day that he will leave yet. He is not sure how many people he will have at his disposal for searching going forward because many of them have assignments already,” she wrote.
“We will do not have any news on the cell phone. And we do not know yet if the helicopters would be able to fly tomorrow or not.”
Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., met with Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak last Friday to get more Russian aid in the search.
Colorado’s police unions have been raising money with the Littleton Police Department to aid in the search efforts.
Those interested in donating to the efforts can make donations here, or send a check to the Colorado Police Officers Foundation at 2701 W. 84th Ave. #211 in Westminster, CO 80031. In both instances, write Steven Beare's name in the notes section of the donation.
There is also a candlelight vigil scheduled for Thursday evening in Roxborough Village Community Park.
But Mrs. Beare hinted Tuesday that her hopes of finding her husband alive were shrinking.
“Life itself as I know it is looking extremely bleak,” she wrote.