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ASHLEY NATIONAL FOREST — The search for a 14-year-old boy missing since Thursday, when officials say he ran away from a camp, continued Friday on horseback, on foot and by air.
Andre Duran was camping near Spirit Lake with the Journey Impact Ranch group of Mona when he was reported missing around 10 a.m. Thursday, Daggett County Sheriff Jerry Jorgensen said.
Jorgensen estimated Friday afternoon there were about 30 people searching the mountainside. If Andre is hiding, they hope hunger will encourage him to reach out to searchers before temperatures drop.
"It's nice weather today, but at night it gets quite cold. That's when we get concerned," Jorgensen said.
Temperatures Thursday night and early Friday morning dropped to 30 degrees.
Andre is 5 feet 6 inches tall and 130 pounds with short, light brown hair. He was last seen wearing long pants, a T-shirt and socks.
Andre was first believed to be missing after an overnight solo camp, but was spotted by other members of the group around 10 a.m. Thursday.
Impact Ranch is our moderate risk behavioral program for males in Mona, Utah. The length of the program is 4 to 6 months. It is located on a 12 acre ranch where the boys work a few hours each day either on the ranch or at local service projects such as the forest service.
The youth "evaded them" and has not been seen since, Jorgensen said.
Authorities are especially worried because Andre wasn't wearing shoes and didn't have any supplies. At the 10,000-foot elevation where Duran went missing, temperatures can reach the upper 30s at night.
Members of Daggett County Search and Rescue were looking for Andre on Friday, with the help of Uintah County Search and Rescue, Rocky Mountain Search Dogs and members of the Journey Impact Ranch. They ended the search Friday night when it became too dark to continue, but planned on picking it up again Saturday morning at about 7 a.m.
They are also requesting the public's help, asking anyone who sees Andre to immediately call 911 or the Daggett County Sheriff’s Office at 435-789-4222.
A website for the Journey Impact Ranch described it as a "moderate risk behavioral program" for 13- to 18-year-old boys. The program typically lasts four to six months and involves work at the ranch in Mona or service projects in the area for groups such as the Forest Service, the website states.
Officials said that those in the program were in tents alone, spaced about 100 feet apart.
Duran's mother, Kelly Harris, said that her son has never been camping and said he doesn't have any survival skills. She plans on staying in the area until the search is finished, however long it takes.
"It's been truly the worst experience of my life," she said. "I haven't slept. I haven't eaten."
Contributing: Alex Cabrero
