Hope of finding a missing Rocky Mountain National Park ranger alive reached a crescendo Thursday after searchers believe they got a signal from him the night before.
For five days, rescue teams, scent dogs and helicopters had combed the rugged Mummy Range without finding any hint of Jeff Christensen’s location.
The situation had become so bleak that even Christensen’s parents spoke of him being severely injured as a best- case scenario.
That changed with the crack of gunfire.
Two separate park visitors reported hearing a gunshot between 7 and 8 p.m. Wednesday within the area where rescuers are looking for Christensen. Guns are not allowed in the park, but Christensen – a commissioned ranger – was last seen carrying his pistol.
The shot was accompanied by a report of smoke in the area.
“We’re optimistic,” spokesman David Eaker said of the search for Christensen, 31, who went missing a week ago. “We really think that he was trying to contact us and let us know, ‘Hey, I’m out here. Help me.”‘
Based on the visitors’ reports, rangers went into the field and fired a shot to elicit a response.
They heard a single shot in reply.
More rangers went out around midnight Wednesday and into the morning and reported hearing clicks on their radio. They believe the clicks could have been Christensen trying to call them on his radio.
Christensen was last seen a week ago after he went to the Mummy Range on foot. It was the first time he had patrolled that part of the park, his parents said.
News of a possible signal inspired rangers and volunteers who have worked exhausting shifts to find their friend and comrade.
“It was a huge lift this morning,” Eaker said. “Especially for the searchers who are out there doing the real hard work. It gives them a little more motivation to know that he could still be out there trying to give us some indication that he is alive.”
Barring a hoax, the gunshots allowed rangers to significantly narrow their search Thursday. The shots could have echoed, Eaker said, but “they are pretty sure that they have it somewhat narrowed down to a drainage (area).”
The “vast majority” of the more than 100 searchers and five dog teams headed to the area Thursday, but they were slowed by steep terrain and rain.
“It’s very steep, very rugged,” Eaker said. “And things are slippery. Rocks are slick; they kind of watch each step.”
It was not until late afternoon that the cloud cover lifted enough to allow a helicopter to fly.
Bernadette Pflug, president of Front Range Rescue Dogs, has worked the search area with her dog Ranger. The group plans to be searching today.
“The folks that are up there are very committed to this search because he is one of their own,” she said. “You can feel that.”
Christensen’s parents, who live in Minnesota, vowed Wednesday to stay in Colorado until the search is over.
“We want to be here if they find him,” said his father, Dale Christensen. “No matter when they find him.”
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 720-929-0893 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
