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Search continues 74-year-old hiker missing in the Uintas

The search continued Wednesday for a 74-year-old hiker reported missing in the Uinta Mountains.

Melvin Heaps was last seen Monday, before he told his family he was going to hike near Crystal Lake, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

“Our family appreciates all the support we have received from the Search and Rescue units, and the concern and interest of friends and family,” the man‘s family said in a released statement. “We continue to be hopeful because few know Mel and his love of the outdoors.”

Deputies found Heaps’ vehicle at the Crystal Lake trailhead, located about two miles off the Mirror Lake Highway and about 27 miles east of Kamas.

(Photo courtesy Summit County Sheriff's Office) Melvin Heaps, 74, has been reported missing by his family after he didn't return from a day hike in the Uintas.

Heaps was wearing a red long sleeve shirt and blue jeans with suspenders, according to a release from the sheriff’s office, and typically wears a straw hat when he hikes.

Contact the Summit County Sheriff’s Office at 435-615-3600 with any information.

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