Shortly after Dennis Martin’s disappearance, his grandfather Clyde decided to hike 9 miles to the ranger’s station to report his grandson’s disappearance and to get help in finding him. According to ATI, the situation became more complicated when a storm rolled in that same night. The rain had washed away the trails, and any evidence of footprints that could have been there was lost.

The search for Dennis continued early the next day, and the National Park Service tasked 30 of their people to aid in the search. News of a missing boy quickly spread, and hundreds of people volunteered in the search efforts. As the days passed, the number of volunteers ballooned to about 1,400, but the search didn’t generate results. The search party covered hundreds of acres, campers in the area were questioned, and helicopters were also utilized, as reported by WATE-TV. The FBI was also brought in, and bloodhounds scoured the park, but they weren’t able to find Dennis’ whereabouts.