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More People Join Search For Missing Hikers

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) – More people have joined the search for two hikers in Clear Creek County who haven't been heard from since last week.

Father and son Damian and Evan McManus were visiting Colorado from Minnesota and went to the Echo Lake area to go hiking. They started their hike from the campground parking lot near Echo Lake Lodge.

Echo Lake Search Map
(credit: CBS)

No one has heard from them since last Wednesday.

Rescue teams have been scouring the area since Sunday. Better weather on Monday allowed for a helicopter to join the search.

The search doubled in size on Monday with 50 people from seven different agencies through the state.

Rescue crews are hoping to track them down by estimating on where they were going.

"Our premise is these gentlemen probably took the path of least resistance which they probably went up the road. Or possibly one of the four trails here," said Howard Paul from the Alpine Rescue Team.

Cellphone pings from April 2 were detected at the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.

"That tells us that the last time they plotted a cell phone location it was to the south, southeast, or southwest of echo lake lodge and within a couple of miles," said Paul.

It's the first clue that searchers have had since Sunday.

"What are the potentials they're still hunkered in somewhere and somebody can find them," said Paul.

Family members including the mother, wife, daughter and sister gathered at the command center hoping for good news.

"You can imagine the grief that it takes on you and I'm proud of her, the way she's handling this," said Damien's brother-in-law Steve Recchia,

With no other information the family is hoping someone on the Front Range may be able to help.

"If anyone had talked to Damien before they left, if anyone sold them snow shoes or rented them to them that would be a big help to us," said Paul.

The decision on how long the search will continue is left up to the sheriff.

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