Search continues for two pipeline workers missing in Nine Mile Canyon

The search continued Thursday for two Colorado men missing since last weekend in the Nine Mile Canyon area of east-central Utah's Carbon County.

Carbon County Sheriff James Cordova said that the natural gas pipeline construction workers had not been seen since late Saturday.

"We haven't had any luck so far in finding them," the sheriff said Thursday. "On Monday while looking for a couple elk hunters from Nevada — who we found alive and well — we asked around. Then on Wednesday I had a deputy up there all day looking in gullies and along the road. Now we're doing a more organized, extensive search using our deputies, and we have search-and-rescue on standby, too."

Nine Mile Canyon actually is about 40 miles long, stretching from Carbon to Duchesne County. It is renowned for its ancient Native American rock art.

The two men, employed by the WC Striegel Co., were identified as Brian Axe and Mark Widegren of Grand Junction, Colo.

Searchers on Thursday also were reportedly joined by relatives of the men.

Family members have told Grand Junction, Colo., TV station KKCO-11 that the men were last seen in Price Saturday night, eating dinner at a Wingers restaurant. According to Brian Axe's sister, Stephanie Axe, her brother's credit card records show the two may have gone to the Silver Dollar bar in Price after dining.

The family asks that anyone wanting to assist with their search efforts call the Abby and Jennifer Recover Foundation at 970-260-1821.

To read more about this story, visit KKCO-11's website at: http://bit.ly/xYTqG8

remims@sltrib.com