DECEMBER 2, 2024 |
Photo – Post from Sheriff’s Facebook page – Courtesy Sheriff Bakken
A missing Carbon County man has been found dead following an intense Thanksgiving Day search.
At approximately 7:30 am on Thursday, November 28th, Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken announced that Rawlins resident Bruce Baugh was reported missing. The report states that Baugh left his residence around 5:30 the previous morning to go elk hunting in the Bridger Pass and Miller Hill area, south of the city, and was expected to return by 11:00 that day.
Baugh had not returned by the next morning and was reported missing. Sheriff Bakken created a social media post asking the public for any information about the missing man’s whereabouts. Baugh was described as driving a white 1970’s Chevy Suburban with lifted suspension and wearing boots, blue jeans, and a dark-colored coat.
Over 20 Carbon County search and rescue volunteers spent their Thanksgiving searching for the missing man. Classic Air Medical helicopters, along with a private plane, assisted in the search.
By 4:45 Thursday afternoon, Sheriff Bakken announced that Baugh’s Suburban had been located in a remote area of the Sage Creek Basin. The sheriff wrote in a social media post that Baugh’s vehicle appeared to have gotten stuck and that the man had attempted to hike back to civilization. Unfortunately, Baugh’s body was found approximately one and a half miles from his SUV. The sheriff did not release Baugh’s cause of death.
Baugh’s death has deeply impacted many people in Rawlins and throughout Carbon County as a whole. He was married to Cristina Baugh, the Director of Quality at Memorial Hospital of Carbon County, and was the brother-in-law of Mike Lujan, owner of Michael’s Big City Steakhouse and a Search and Rescue volunteer.
Sheriff Bakken expressed his appreciation for all the Search and Rescue Volunteers who took time away from their family on Thanksgiving to help locate a member of our community.
Bigfoot99 would like to express our condolences to the family of Bruce Baugh.
