UPDATE  9:00 p.m. Sunday, September 17

Missoula Search and Rescue teams found the missing man who had been reported lost in the Lolo Peak area at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

He was not injured, and was transported back to Missoula by Search and Rescue members. The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page confirmed the good news on Sunday night.

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On Sunday afternoon, Missoula Search and Rescue crews were called out to look for a missing 19 year-old man in the area of Lolo Peak.

Public Information Officer with the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, Brenda Bassett said the man was with a group of friends recreating in the area when he became separated from the group between Carlton Creek and Little Carlton Creek.

The man has been lost since about 8:15 a.m. on Sunday.

“When they weren’t able to locate him, they waited a few hours before they called 9-1-1,” said Bassett. “I got the call at around 2:00 p.m., and we’ve had the ground crew looking for several hours, and then decided to call Two Bear Air out of Whitefish just in case it starts to get dark.”

Bassett said the search must be suspended when darkness falls, but Two Bear Air has special equipment to help find people stranded in wilderness areas.

“It just makes sense to keep people out searching when they have low visibility themselves,” she said. “We’re so fortunate here in western Montana to have the services of Missoula County Search and rescue, but also Two Bear Air. Their technology has helped so many times when people are in areas that we can’t get to on foot, or when we have an injury, so we’re very thankful for their services.”

As of 6:00 p.m. the missing man had not yet been found, however, The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page will have updates as often as possible.

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