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WEST BOUNTIFUL — Less than a day after authorities announced they were suspending a search for a man who was last seen on July 24, the man’s family said they will continue searching for him privately.
“We are not giving up in recovering him and will continue to search until he is found. We want to bring him home and lay him to rest next to his beloved wife, Linda,” the family wrote in a Facebook post. “Please continue to pray that our family will be able to gain closure on our heartbreaking loss.”
West Bountiful Police Chief Todd Hixson said Monday the search for John Page was called off Sunday night.
The family said the decision came after an agreement with the Box Elder's Sheriff Office. The family, however, decided to continue the search privately with family and friends.
"John was an expert at survival skills. We know that he would have signaled for help or made his way back to a road if he were able," the family wrote. "The family agreed to temporarily suspend the organized search efforts so that we could re-group and plan smaller family and friend search parties."
Page was last seen at a Centerville Maverik gas station on July 24. His vehicle was found near the Tooele and Box Elder county line on Friday, Tooele police Lt. Ron Johnson said.
Johnson said it was possible Page stopped the car to go hike in the mountains. Search and rescue teams from Tooele, Box Elder, Davis and Utah counties helped search for Page until Monday, when West Bountiful police announced it was suspending its search.
While the search for Page has been called off, police still encourage anyone with information about the man to call the West Bountiful Police Department at 801-298-6000.
