Three Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue volunteers assisted in the search and recovery efforts for missing three-year-old Arden Pepion. Pepion was last seen near Joe Show E Road off of U.S. 89 S southeast of Browning, Montana Thursday evening, April 22.
BLACKFEET RESERVATION - Three Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue (SSSAR) volunteers were involved in the search and recovery efforts for missing three-year-old Arden Pepion the weekend of May 1. Pepion was last seen near Joe Show E Road off of U.S. Highway 89 S at approximately 7 p.m. Thursday, April 22 on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation southeast of Browning.
Pepion was last seen wearing a purple jacket with a unicorn design on front, gray under sweater, black leggings and black boots with green trim. She weighs 30-32 lbs, is between 2'6"-3'0" and has brown eyes and dark brown hair.
According to a May 1 press release from Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, law enforcement had covered about 20 miles on land and about 40 river miles. They have used foot searches, dive teams, horseback riders, kayaks, boats, ATV/UTVs, helicopters, drones and canine teams in the search for Pepion. The release stated that the recovery search has been scaled back but there is a contingent search plan in place for future searches of the area.
Missoula County Sheriff's Office Captain Bill Burt said that they had received a notification from the Browning Chief of Police requesting mutual aid to help in their search for Pepion. The SSSAR volunteers who participated were Chief Tim Hoag, Ken Brochu and David Wallenburn. Two other volunteers came from the Missoula Search and Rescue team.
On Saturday, May 1 the volunteers searched an upper rim area of the region on ATVs. On Sunday, they conducted grid searches of the Madison River bottom.
"Those five [volunteers] probably did about six miles of back and forth ground search just on Sunday alone in the river bottom," Burt said. "That was one of the things they liked about us being there was we were a fresh set of eyes and we were less likely to overlook something that other searchers had been back and forth over."
According to Burt, other county search and rescue teams that participated in the search included Flathead, Gallatin, Lewis and Clark, Pondera and a number of smaller teams as well. He said because it is such a large geographical area the more volunteers and equipment involved in their efforts the better.
While efforts have been scaled back they will continue to be involved if they receive another mutual aid request.
"It's better to have it not needed than need it and not have it," he said.
Those with any information on Pepion's disappearance should call the Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services at 406-338-4000.
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