Great Smoky Mountains Natl. Park — UPDATE (May 6): Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials said Saturday that they were suspending the search for Gordon Kaye, a man from Tampa who was last seen in Deep Creek Campground on April 23.
They said that the search lasted 11 days. They said operations would switch from an active search to a limited, but continuous search that could include backcountry patrols, air searches when practical and outreach to hikers in the area. A missing person investigation is also ongoing and the National Park Service said they would continue to follow up with new information.
They said more than 300 people from 57 agencies and four states searched the ground on foot, horseback and with canine teams looking for Kaye. They said rangers also used a drone in areas where vegetation cover allowed.
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ORIGINAL: The National Park Service announced it is scaling back its search for a Florida man who disappeared in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The NPS said Gordon Kaye, 69, from Tampa, was last seen in the lower loop of Deep Creek Campground on April 23. Rangers said his family reported him missing on April 26.
They said Kaye has brown hair with blue eyes and is around 5'10" tall and weighs more than 200 lbs. They also said he could be suffering from a mental health crisis.
According to a spokesperson from GSMNP, rangers and search teams scaled back on May 3 to 10 people per day to search by foot, horseback and with dog teams. So far, the GSMNP said 288 people from 51 agencies and four states have helped search for Kaye.
"The search area is steep, slippery, and covered in dense vegetation. NPS rangers are also using an unmanned aircraft system (also called UAS, or drone) to search in areas where vegetation cover allows," the GSMNP said.
The NPS said anyone who has seen Kaye or has information about his location should reach out to GSMNP dispatch at 865-436-1230, or Swain County Dispatch at 828-488-2196.