Kim Crumbo, 74, of Ogden, Utah, and his half-brother, 67-year-old Mark Crumbo O'Neill of Chimacum, Washington, set out on September 12, 2021, on a planned four-night canoe and camping trip in the Shoshone Lake area of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The two men, both retired National Park Service employees, failed to return as scheduled, and a family member reported them overdue on September 19, 2021. Park crews located a vacant campsite with gear on the south side of Shoshone Lake, and found a canoe, one paddle, a personal flotation device, and other personal belongings on the lake's east shore. O'Neill's body was recovered on the east shore on September 20, 2021; an autopsy determined he died of hypothermia. Crumbo was not located. He is described as a white male with gray hair and blue eyes, 5'10" tall and approximately 200 pounds.
Yellowstone National Park, through the National Park Service, is the lead investigating agency. Search and rescue crews used ground teams, helicopters, boats, and sonar technology for approximately three weeks before officials shifted the effort from rescue to recovery, citing deteriorating weather. Crumbo, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who served two tours of duty in Vietnam and later spent about two decades as a river ranger and Wilderness Coordinator at Grand Canyon National Park, has never been found and is presumed deceased. No suspects, persons of interest, or indications of foul play have been reported in connection with his disappearance; the case remains open and unresolved.
