BOZEMAN — David Butzin, 63, was reported missing on November 25th. Shortly after his vehicle was found at the New World Gulch trailhead.
Now after over a week of looking for Butzin, MTN News met up with Gallatin County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue to see how that search is going.
“You know, nobody had seen him since roughly November 10th," says Matt Boxmeyer the Gallatin County Search and Rescue Commander.
Butzin has lived in the Bozeman area for a number of years. According to his family, Butzin is an avid outdoorsman and often enjoys hiking off-trail without telling family or friends where he is going. Which is one of the reasons they waited until November 25th to report him missing.
“Our deputies did what they could. They went by the house. Went by other locations that we were told he made frequent,” says Boxmeyer.
The next day they got a tip. An abandoned car sat at the New World Gulch trailhead. It belonged to Butzin.
“After we found the vehicle we put up a helicopter in the air and we flew over the entire Bear Canyon, New World Gulch area for a couple of hours. We also dispatched a couple of dog teams,” says Boxmeyer.
But no luck in finding him. Boxmeyer tells me this search has been particularly difficult. Even though Search and Rescue is familiar with the Bear Canyon area.
“We’ve gotten lots of calls up there."
In fact, on November 7th they rescued 2 hikers from the Mystic Lake cabin after they were snowed in. A snowstorm that has complicated the search for Butzin.
“There’s a lot of deadfall. The snow was knee-deep and higher in some locations which makes it difficult for the dogs and handlers,” says Boxmeyer.
Teams have been out every day since Butzin was reported missing, extending this search to over a week. When, or if, search and rescue would call it quits?
“We talk daily and after every time we go out there we formulate new plans of where we need to look. There’s lots of factors that dictate how long we search and ultimately that decision of whether or not to suspend the search is up to the Sheriff,” says Boxmeyer.
When asked when the last time search and rescue had a search of this magnitude, considering the state of Montana reports there were more than 1,000 missing persons in 2023.
“We haven't had an extended search for someone that’s been missing for quite a while. Searches have kind of dwindled a little bit, just with all the equipment that people can carry the GPS, cellphones, Mapping software, ON X. But we still do get people that get turned around.”
For now, the search is still on for Butzin.
As the weather warms up, another helicopter will be put up later this week. Gallatin County Search and Rescue asks if you have any information regarding Butzin’s whereabouts, to contact their non-emergency number at (406) 582-2100.
