An Airmed helicopter lifts off from a field in Provo after picking up search and rescue personnel who are searching for a hiker who has been missing since Saturday and was believed to be in the Y-Mountain area on Tuesday, June 5, 2013. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Adam hiked to the top of the Y mountain, took several photos and has
been trying to make a panoramic photo. He called this morning 4 days later
to tell me he has looked at photos of the missing man on Y Mountain and
thinks he talked to him.
Adam is on his way to the trail to meet with searchers to show his
photos and where he saw him.
The family of a missing hiker asked friends to please come forward if they knew where their son may have been hiking Saturday.
Gary and Lori Mayle held a news conference Tuesday night following a full day of searching the hills and canyons around Y Mountain for 22-year-old Tyler Mayle, a BYU student from Ranger, Colo.
"Tyler is very strong, he does things his way," Gary Mayle said. Mayle said the last time he talked to his son was two weeks ago when he was home for a week visiting and having fun with the family.
"Not knowing how he is is the biggest stress," Gary Mayle said. "He loves the mountains and likes wildlife. He has hiked Y mountain several times."
Dozens of searchers spent all day Tuesday in the Y Mountain area searching for Tyler Mayle, who went hiking on Saturday and did not return home. His family called police on Tuesday morning.
Gary Mayle also said that his son had discovered some new places on the mountain and was interested in doing some exploring in those areas. They just don't know how far back into the mountains he would go.
"We just want to find our son," Lori Mayle said. "Please pray for Tyler. We need to get Tyler back home."
From nearly the moment his family heard the news they began receiving calls of support. "We've had tremendous support," Gary Mayle said.
It was less than two hours after they called 911 that his car was found at the upper parking lot at the Y Mountain trailhead.
Tyler Mayle was carrying a pack that included water but that may be gone and dehydration can set in faster on these warm days.
Searchers did not find Tyler on Tuesday, but they did run into a bear. No one was injured and the bear was scared away with a helicopter. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources employees remained on the scene to keep track of the bear and keep searchers safe. According to Capt. Dean York with the Provo Fire Department, the search began just before 10 a.m. Tuesday. York said Tyler Mayle left to go hiking at about 11:30 a.m. Saturday and hasn't been seen or heard from since.
Tyler Mayle's roommate Daniel Blake said he saw Mayle leave Saturday morning, but didn't speak to him before he left. Blake also said he and his other roommates noticed that Mayle wasn't home Sunday morning but he hadn't said anything to any of them and they thought he had gone on vacation without telling them.
Provo Search and Rescue crews are searching just above the "Y" and have two separate crews searching from the top of the mountain down and the bottom of the mountain up. Mayle was supposed to be going to Eagle Pass near the "Y" and rescuers are concentrating their search in that area. They are using an AirMed helicopter to help shuttle rescuers to the top of the mountain but said the chopper isn't actually being used to search right now. York said they are not in need of volunteer searchers at this time but that the Y trail has been closed off to the public while the search is ongoing.
"Their search is much easier to do at night when they can use infrared cameras," York said. "Unless someone is just waving at them it is much easier for them to see people at night."
The search will resume at 6 a.m. Wednesday.
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