EBS STAFF
The body of 29-year-old Dane M. Offutt from Big Sky was found in the Gallatin River on Wednesday, according to a press release from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.
On Oct. 7, Yellowstone National park rangers responded to a vehicle off the road and abandoned in the park on Highway 191 near mile post 29. A search of the area and attempts to contact the driver were unsuccessful, and during the following days the Park Service requested assistance from the sheriff’s office to check the driver’s residence and place of work.
The man’s employer notified authorities that he hadn’t reported for two work shifts so additional searches of the area were conducted including aid from search and rescue dogs. On Wednesday, a search and rescue drone was utilized to search a larger area and the man was discovered deceased in the Gallatin River downstream from the crash site.
The cause of death is still under investigation.
