UPDATE: Search and rescue crews on Thursday recovered the body of Lucas Macaj.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK — A search is underway for a missing 23-year-old man who was attempting to summit Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).
Lucas Macaj, 23, of Colorado Springs was reported overdue late Sunday night after attempting to summit Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route Sunday. Rangers found his vehicle early Monday morning still parked at the Longs Peak Trailhead, according to RMNP officials.
Macaj was last heard from around 1 p.m. Sunday when he texted a friend indicating that he was on the summit of Longs Peak, officials said. Significant storms moved through high elevations in the park Sunday afternoon.
Park officials have utilized air reconnaissance, a heat-sensing fixed-wing flight and ground crews to search from the Longs Peak Trail to the Ledges on the Keyhole Route. Crews have also searched the Boulder Brook Trail. RMNP said the air reconnaissance focused on the Keyhole Route, including the Ledges, the Trough, the Narrows, the Homestretch and the saddle between Longs Peak and Mount Meeker.
Macaj is 5 feet 9 inches tall and 155 pounds with brown hair and green eyes. He is likely wearing a dark-colored top, tan or brown pants, khaki-colored boots and a black backpack, according to park officials. He may also be wearing a beanie and dark-colored gloves.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call or text the National Park Service Investigative Services tip line at 888-653-0009. Tips can also be submitted online or through email at nps_isb@nps.gov.
