By Naman Trivedi

Copyright timesnownews

Two men who went missing last week while elk hunting in southern Colorado have been found dead, family members confirmed Thursday. Andrew Porter, 25, of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko, 25, of Salt Lake City, Utah, disappeared during a hunting trip in the Rio Grande National Forest near Trujillo Meadows Reservoir, just north of the Colorado-New Mexico border. The Conejos County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) said the men were last seen around the Rio De Los Pinos Trailhead, where their vehicle was later found with most of their camping gear and backpacks still inside. Authorities began search efforts last Saturday after the men missed a scheduled 24-hour check-in with family. The last known contact with them was on Thursday afternoon, and other hunters reported seeing them alive the following Friday morning. Porter’s fiancée, Bridget Murphy, said the two likely set out for a short hunt without their main gear after spotting an elk herd. She noted that severe weather, including thunderstorms, dense fog, and heavy rain, hit the area later that day and continued into the weekend, complicating conditions. A massive multi-day search was launched involving helicopters, drones, ground crews, dog teams, and volunteers from multiple states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Wyoming. Family members of both men also traveled to Colorado to assist in the efforts. Their bodies were discovered near the trailhead around 11 a.m. on Thursday, nearly six days after the search began. The discovery was confirmed by Colorado Search and Rescue and the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office. A GoFundMe page created by Porter’s family to support the search had been widely shared in the days leading up to the tragic news. The page had raised over $78,000 before it was disabled. The cause of death has not yet been released. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News and around the World.