El Paso County Search and Rescue looking for missing hiker near Mount Herman

El Paso County Search and Rescue crews spent Monday evening looking for a missing hiker on Mount Herman.

Officials believe Kevin Rudinicki, 20, was hiking near Raspberry Mountain before he disappeared.

He left to go hiking Sunday morning and was expected to return Sunday night.

“He did not return any cell phone calls, it was turned off, he did not return texts, he did not come home, he did not come home again this morning,” Melissa Reynolds, Rudinicki’s mother said.

His family says he knows the trails well and has hiked in the area for years.

“His home, his place to go when he needed a time out from his life,” Reynolds said.

His family said a former teacher spotted Rudinicki on Raspberry Mountain Sunday morning but no one has seen him since.

“He had plans to pursue a career in forestry. He had goals there’s no indication that I know of that he would not have any reason to come home,” Reynolds said.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said they consider Rudinicki at risk for where he might be physically, as well as his emotional state.

“We won’t stop until we find them, that is what we do, that is what our search and rescue does,” Jacqueline Kriby, spokeswoman for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said. “At this point and time we’re very hopeful, and we’ll just have to see what tomorrow brings.”

Reynolds is holding onto hope and asking for help.

“If anybody has seen him, passed him, please, just let us know, help us get him home,” Reynolds said.

Rudinicki was last seen wearing a green T-shirt, cargo shorts, tan military boots and a Wyoming baseball cap.

He is 5’9″ and 140 pounds.

If you have any information on his whereabouts, call the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.

A FAMILIAR SEARCH

It was almost exactly a year ago that another man disappeared in the Mount Herman area.

Cyclist Tim Watkins disappeared on September 14, 2017.

His body was discovered a few days later, but his killer has yet to be found.