Search for missing hiker near Mount Herman intensifies, family still hopeful

For the third day in a row, the search for a missing hiker continued near Mount Herman.

More than 50 volunteers showed up at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning ready to hike the rigorous trails looking for Kevin Rudnicki. The 20-year-old went missing on Sunday after he didn’t return from a hike in the evening.

During the morning briefing, a search and rescue team member told volunteers, K-9 units had picked up a scent on Tuesday but lost it. More units were sent to the same area today looking for more clues.

Other volunteers were asked to scatter through other trails in case Rudnicki had hiked through multiple areas.

Dan Garrison, a volunteer said, “we just thought we could come up and I think the more people the better chance we have to come up with some answers.”

Some brought their dogs with them thinking the extra eyes and ears couldn’t hurt. “She’s really good at sniffing anything so, you know, we’ll just see what she can do. I figure it’s an extra pair of eyes and she’s got a better nose than we do,” said Andrea Rusco about her dog.

Among the hikers was Kevin’s younger brother Andrew Rudnicki. He’s been among the hikers from the beginning. He said, ” It hasn’t really dawned on me yet, so again I just I know the area and I’m just here to do my job.”

There are hundreds of trails that someone can find in Pike National Forest, somewhere Rudnicki says someone can get lost if they wanted to. “There are a lot of places, a lot of gulleys and caves you can go into and the chance of someone finding you is very small.”

A Flight for Life helicopter typically used for air medical transport has become a part of the search. A search and rescue team member will board the helicopter and help look for Rudnicki in the higher terrain areas that volunteers can’t always reach.

Rudnicki was last seen wearing a green t-shirt and cargo shorts. He has short curly red hair with a Wyoming Baseball cap and a tan military boots.