Silver Valley Search and Rescue assist in Mineral County operation

Washington man found deceased

HAUGAN, Mont. – Silver Valley Search and Rescue crews were a part of a multi-agency operation this weekend after two separate individuals went missing in the western Montana wilderness. One male was found alive while the other was found deceased.

Search teams began to mobilize on the morning of May 2 after the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office received a Silver Alert from Washington regarding Michael S. Frazer, 74, of Spokane. Frazer had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and was reported missing from his residence on April 29.

Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Jeff Lee states that MCSO contacted SCSO dispatch around 12:30 a.m. that morning requesting an agency assist with search and rescue.

MCSO initiated the search and located Frazer’s vehicle and dog on NF-288 (Timber Creek Rd) near Packer creek, approximately 4 miles west of the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar in Haugan, Mont. It was in the parking lot next to the 50,000 Silver Dollar Inn that an incident command center was set up. Roughly 35 individuals with the Mineral County SAR, Silver Valley SAR, Kootenai County SAR, Superior Volunteer Fire Department, West End Fire, MCSO, and SCSO would base their three-day search from this location. Additional resources included three cadaver dogs out of Spokane, a drone from KCSO, and helicopter support from Two Bear Air.

In the midst of the search for Frazer, a second missing person report came in Saturday night referencing a 30 year old male that had crashed his new UTV in the same area as the search crews after they had cleared for the night. Alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.

Footprints found the next day in the snow by search crews indicated that the male walked east up the mountain from the crash site, which gave them a good point to start searching from.

By May 4, both individuals had been located by rescue teams. The male from the UTV crash was located alive with several injuries, while Frazer was found deceased.

Next of kin has been notified.