What began in April as a hopeful search to find Damian McManus and his son Evan ended when their bodies were found in the Vance Creek area of Mount Goliath in Idaho Springs, Colorado.

Bill Barwick, Public Information Officer for the Alpine Rescue Team, said up until finding the McManus’, 48 missions searched for the father and son.

“We expended approximately 5,000 man hours between 26 different agencies. Even after the search was suspended in April, it was one of the largest searches my rescue team had ever been involved with,” Barwick said.

Barwick said without the volunteer work of various people and organizations, the search could not have been put into motion.

“The 26 agencies that volunteered to come in came with helicopters, search dogs and more manpower, then more manpower, then more manpower, as well as a private group of people from not only Minnesota, but also from Idaho Springs, Colorado. Because they lived very close to the area that was being searched, they felt that they could do some work as well,” he said.

Barwick said the search was a difficult one as a result of various factors and many unknown details of their hike.

“The last reported contact with their cell phone was near the summit of Mount Goliath on that Wednesday night around 7:30 p.m.,” Barwick said. “Mount Goliath is about 11,000 feet tall and part of the wilderness area, and there’s quite a lot of area there to search. On top of that there was anywhere between five and seven feet of snow. We had no way of knowing which way they might have gone or which direction of travel they might have taken.”

Barwick said Evan and Damian McManus were finally found July 17. The private group found Evan and two different teams with search dogs from the Alpine Rescue Team and the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group found the remains of Damian. The coroner determined the father and son passed away because of exposure (this would include hypothermia and other reasons related to the inclement weather), but exact details are unknown.

The St. Joan of Arc Church held a memorial service for Evan and Damian on Thursday, August 14.

Senior Spencer Anderson said he attended the service because a lot of his close friends knew Evan.

“It was pretty emotional and sad,” Anderson said. “I personally didn’t cry but I know the family had a pretty hard time getting through the whole thing.”

Anderson also said he felt there was a strong sense of community at the memorial service.

“There were a lot of people there all in orange. I especially felt there were a lot of people from the soccer community and a lot of people from SLP to support them,” Anderson said.

Andrea Bouzrara, a spokesperson for the McManus family said she thinks Katherine McManus, mother and wife of Evan and Damian, would want people to know her gratitude for what has been done through every step of this tragedy.

“I know from my close relationship with Katherine, that what she wants people to know is that she deeply appreciates the love and prayers throughout this entire process, and that it has really helped them,” Bouzrara said. “I know that she would want people to know that she really hopes that Damian and Evan have changed people’s lives for the better in some way, and hopes that everyone has been affected by it and has felt a positive change in their lives by it.”

Bouzrara said the way this tragedy has brought the support of the community has astounded her in many ways, as she saw people from not only St. Louis Park, but from Colorado as well come together to support the McManus family.

“People have come out of the woodwork to support the McManus’, donating money and offering food and just being there for them,” Bouzrara said. “If anything good has come out of this it is the love and care of an amazing community.”