Search efforts have intensified, and an increased reward is now being offered for help to find Steamboat Springs resident Matthew Shelters, who seems to have vanished without a trace, reports Sky-Hi News.
Shelters was last seen on surveillance video leaving the Back Door Grill around midnight on April 24, heading towards 9th Street.
On Monday, about 75 people met at Old Town Pub to establish search grids and discuss strategy for finding Shelters. On Tuesday, members of the Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue swift-water team found no signs of the 38-year-old after searching the Yampa River from Rotary Park to Milner. Search efforts, on both land and water, have expanded to beyond the Steamboat area to include Hayden, Craig, Kremmling, and Silverthorne.
Police, who were first contacted about Shelters on Friday, have been trying to gather any video footage that may offer clues, and residents and business owners were asked to review any video footage they had from late April 23 to early April 24.
Police have not found any evidence to indicate a crime has occurred.
A Facebook page called Search for Shelters has been set up and advertises a $7,500 reward. More than 1,000 people “liked” the page in the first 18 hours after it was set up. People have shared where they have searched and where they plan to search. There were also people meeting in Denver on Tuesday to plan poster distribution on the Front Range.
“A well-coordinated group of friends and community members have been a valuable addition to our local search and investigation,” Dopplick said. “We encourage all volunteers to be mindful of their own safety while on and or near the Yampa River.”
A fundraising website has also been established to help with costs associated with the search, and as of Monday evening, more than $5,600 had been raised.
Shelters is white, 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs about 170 pounds. He has a beard and was last seen wearing a dark hoodie, a dark-colored, flat-billed hat, brown pants and light-colored shoes. People with any information are asked to contact Steamboat police by calling 970-879-1090.
