Search for missing Alta man turns up empty

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A daylong search, using volunteers and dogs, failed to find an Alta man believed to have gone missing three weeks ago in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

A Unified Police Department (UPD) dispatcher confirmed Sunday that no trace was found by searchers who combed an area of the Alta Ski Resort that had been covered by snow during an earlier search this spring.

On May 22, Corry Ehlers, 48, an avid skier and outdoorsman, reportedly told his girlfriend he was going on a hike in the Hellgate area of the canyon. He has not been heard from since. Initially, UPD officers, ski patrol and volunteers scoured the area, assisted by helicopters and search dogs. No trace was found, and the search eventually was suspended with no real evidence that Ehlers had remained on the mountain trails with which he was said to be so familiar.

Ehlers left his cellphone and car behind at his Sandy condo. That car and another one belonging to him were found in Sandy filled with his belongings. Anyone with information on Ehlers or his whereabouts is asked to contact UPD at 801-743-7000.

Bob Mims