Cecil Keith Marske, 86, went for a customary walk on what is remembered as the coldest night of the winter in early January 2025 and did not return. He lived in the Falls Creek area north of Durango, Colorado, and was well known to neighbors for his solitary walks through the valley where he had lived for decades. The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office issued a Code Red alert on January 10, 2025; La Plata County Search and Rescue used drones and search dogs to search the rugged Falls Creek area.

Marske was described as 5 feet 7 inches tall with hazel eyes and gray hair, last seen wearing a polar blue fleece jacket and tennis shoes, and possibly a gray wool hat. He was in the early stages of dementia and had Parkinson’s disease, making him unsteady and sometimes unable to speak beyond pointing. Official searches eventually wound down, and his family continued searching. With no new leads, they have gradually accepted that he is likely gone, but community members still feel the loss.

If anyone who lived in or traveled Falls Creek in January 2025 remembers seeing Cecil or the clothing described, please share what you know.