Rescue teams continue to search by land and air for a Colorado police officer, who went missing while climbing Mount Elbrus in Russia.
Officer Steven Beare, from Littleton, Colorado, was last seen on June 14, when he was climbing the 18,000-foot mountain alone during a blizzard.
Right now, an American mountaineer is leading the search efforts in Russia. Don Bowie has directed hired teams and volunteers, both on the ground and by helicopter, as they search tirelessly for the missing officer.
Beare’s wife, Olivia, is desperately hoping for the safe return of her husband. She is 12 weeks pregnant with the couple’s second child, and she says reality is starting to sink in that her husband may not be found.
“I just have to think about the future and what my life will be like with two babies with no dad,” she said.
The family is raising money to help fund the ongoing search. Their fundraising efforts include paying for the helicopters flying over Mount Elbrus that cost $2,500 an hour each.
Beare is originally from New York, but moved to Colorado with his family. A vigil was held Monday night in Catskill to pray for his safe return.
“He’s very resourceful, and he’ll do anything and everything he can to survive,” John Gotebiowski, a friend of Beare’s, said.
Olivia says the support from friends, family, and the community has been overwhelming, with people coming over to their Colorado home every day.
“While we were gone we came home and someone had cleaned my house,” she said. “I don’t know how they got in or what, but someone was here and cleaned our house.”
A Facebook page has been created to continue updating friends and family on the search for Beare. As of Tuesday morning, the page had reached almost 3,800 members.
