2 Experienced Outdoorsmen Reported Missing During Elk Hunting Trip. One Is Months Away from Getting Married

Search efforts are underway for two elk hunters who have been missing for nearly a week.

The Conejos County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) reported that officers went to the Rio De Los Pinos Trailhead in Colorado’s Rio Grande National Forest on Saturday, Sept. 13, to check on the two men, who were reported overdue while elk hunting, according to a news release obtained by PEOPLE.

The missing hunters have been identified as Andrew Porter from Asheville, N.C., and Ian Stasko from Salt Lake City, Utah. Both are 25 years old.

The sheriff’s office said the men were last known to be in the San Juan Wilderness area, west of Trujillo Meadows Reservoir. They were reported missing after they didn’t check in with family at the planned time.

Authorities said a “massive” search began immediately after the men’s car was found at the trailhead, but the two were not there.

“Camping gear and backpacks were located in the vehicle, prompting deputies to become concerned due to heavy rain and bad weather,” officials added.

In an update on Wednesday, Sept. 17, authorities confirmed that the search is still ongoing.

In an interview with The Colorado Sun, Bridget Murphy, Porter’s fiancée, said she last heard from the hunters around 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11. Porter had shared his location with her via a satellite device and sent brief updates every few hours until then.

That night, “terrible storms” passed through the area and continued through Sunday, according to CBS affiliate KKTV.

Murphy described both men as “fit” and “very savvy outdoorsmen.” She said, “If they’re able, they will do everything they can to survive. They’ve been looking at this area for six months before coming here. They’re strong and capable, but we need the resources and they deserve them.”

Murphy also said that because Porter and Stasko are experienced outdoorsmen, their families “have a little bit of hope,” but their survival depends on whether they were disoriented, panicked, or exposed to hypothermia.

She asked for experienced volunteers to help with the search on her Facebook page. “I love Andrew with all of my heart and if you can’t come help, please just pray for a safe recovery,” she wrote.

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, she shared that while the men remain missing, there was a confirmed sighting of them on the morning of Friday, Sept. 12, at the Spruce Hole Trailhead.

A GoFundMe page was set up by family and friends to support the search, raising over $60,000 as of Sept. 17.

“Local authorities and volunteers have been conducting searches on foot, on horseback, and by air. We are very grateful to the Conejos County Sheriff’s Department and all the volunteers for their efforts in finding Andrew and Ian,” Porter’s aunt wrote on the fundraiser page. “But we need more help, and we need it now.”