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Search Intensifies, Reward Increased For Man Missing For More Than A Week

By Matt Kroschel

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4)- The search for a man who seems to have vanished without a trace more than a week ago is intensifying and the reward has been increased.

Dozens of volunteers are using dogs, drones and boats in the search for Matthew Shelters.

His family has increased the reward amount to $7,500, that's up $5,000 from Wednesday morning.

matthew shelters pic
Matthew Shelters (credit: Shelters Family)

Shelters was last seen on surveillance video leaving the Back Door Grill around midnight on April 24, heading towards 9th Street.

Steamboat Springs police do not believe foul play is involved but family members are extremely concerned.

Matthew Shelters
Matthew Shelters (credit: Shelters Family)

"This is not like my brother to just walk away from everyone, we need to get him back," said Matthew's brother Nathan Shelters.

Nathan flew to Colorado from Oregon to help in the search for his brother told CBS4's Matt Kroschel on Wednesday.

grid search
Matthew Shelters (credit: Shelters Family)

Volunteers split up into groups, using grids around the area to search.

Matthew's friends have started a Facebook page "Search for Shelters" that already has more than a 1,000 likes and is being shared across the country on social media.

Matthew Shelters
Matthew Shelters (credit: Shelters Family)

One of the last images of Matthew to surface comes from a camera at a local bar just hours before he seemingly disappeared.

He is described as a 38-year-old male with an athletic build about 170 pounds and 6-foot-1, with a beard, dirty blonde hair and visible tattoos on his upper arm and upper center back.

Matthew Shelters
Matthew Shelters (credit: Shelters Family)

Matthew Shelters was wearing a dark, charcoal-colored hoodie, dark flat-billed hat, tan pants and light-colored shoes.

Anyone with any information about Matthew Shelters is asked to call the Steamboat Springs Police Department at 970.879.1144 or send an email to searchforshelters@gmail.com.

Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.

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