Two young hunters who went missing nearly a week ago in southern Colorado have been found dead, authorities and family members confirmed Thursday, just hours after one of their fiancées vowed to continue searching for them.

Andrew Porter, 25, who was engaged and set to marry in the coming months, and his friend Ian Stasko, also 25, disappeared during a hunting trip in the Rio Grande National Forest. Their bodies were recovered after extensive search efforts.

“It is with a broken heart and through tears that I give you this update,” Porter’s aunt, Lynne Runkle, wrote on a GoFundMe page she created to support search and rescue efforts. “Andrew and Ian have both been found deceased. Their bodies were discovered earlier today by Colorado Search and Rescue. Please keep Andrew’s and Ian’s families in your thoughts and prayers.” Runkle did not immediately respond to requests for comment from PEOPLE.

Earlier Thursday, the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that two unidentified men had been recovered near the Rio de Los Pinos Trailhead at approximately 11 a.m. local time. “At this time, the individuals remain unidentified,” Sheriff Garth Crowther said in a statement. “The investigation is ongoing, and no further details are available pending identification and notification of next-of-kin.”

The discovery came shortly after Porter’s fiancée, Bridget Murphy, posted a heartfelt message on social media, pledging to continue the search: “I will not stop until we find you. I will not give up.”

The deaths mark a tragic end to a weeklong search in the rugged terrain of the Rio Grande National Forest, where family, friends, and search teams had combed the area in hopes of bringing the men home safely.

Search and rescue efforts along the Rio De Los Pinos Trailhead in Colorado.
CONEJOS COUNTY SHERIFF’s Office

Experienced Hunters Found Dead After Weeklong Search in Southern Colorado

Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, both 25 and experienced hunters, were in southern Colorado to hunt elk when they went missing last week. Porter’s fiancée, Bridget Murphy, told The Colorado Sun that their last contact came on Thursday, Sept. 11, at approximately 2:45 p.m., when Porter shared his location via a satellite device. Until that communication, he had been providing regular updates to Murphy and his family every few hours.

Concern grew when the two men failed to check in as planned. Deputies from the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the Rio de Los Pinos Trailhead on Saturday, Sept. 13, after being alerted that Porter and Stasko were overdue. Officials noted that the hunters “failed to check in with loved ones at a predetermined time.”

Search teams found their vehicle at the trailhead, but neither man was inside. “Camping gear and backpacks were located in the vehicle, prompting deputies to become concerned due to heavy rain and bad weather,” authorities said in a statement. A massive search was subsequently launched, involving aerial teams, county and state crews on the ground, dog teams, drones, and local volunteers.

By Wednesday, Sept. 17, Murphy provided a hopeful update on Facebook, noting that the men had been seen alive the morning of Friday, Sept. 12. “This gives us one more night we know they were safe,” she wrote, clinging to hope as search efforts intensified.Tragically, the search ended Thursday, Sept. 18, when both men were found deceased. Their recovery came just hours after Murphy had vowed publicly, “I will not stop until we find you. I will not give up,” highlighting the emotional toll on families during such search operations in Colorado’s rugged backcountry.

The Rio de Los Pinos Trailhead marker.
CONEJOS COUNTY SHERIFF’s Office

Murphy later provided further insight into the men’s movements, saying, “We think now that they slept in the car Thursday, tried out a new spot Friday morning where they were spotted, didn’t like it as much — and came back to the main trailhead they’d been at Friday by 11 a.m.”

Throughout the search, Murphy appealed to the public for assistance while holding onto hope that she would see her fiancé again, just months away from their wedding, according to The Colorado Sun. She described both Porter and Stasko as “very prepared outdoorsmen,” but acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding what might have happened: “It depends on if they were in sound mind, if they were disoriented or panicked, or if they were already hypothermic. We’re just not sure. So there’s a lot of teams out looking.”

Tragically, the day after the interview ran, search teams recovered the bodies of both men.

Conejos County Sheriff Garth Crowther praised the efforts of all involved in the extensive search. “This collaborative effort reflects the strength of our community and the unwavering dedication of every volunteer and agency involved,” he said in a statement. “We are proud of the perseverance demonstrated throughout the search.”

For the families and loved ones of Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, the discovery of the men’s bodies marked the heartbreaking end of hope for a positive outcome.

Earlier on Sept. 18, before the search concluded, Porter’s fiancée, Bridget Murphy, shared one final plea on social media: “Another morning. Andrew, and Ian, I will not stop until we find you. I will not give up.”

She continued, urging the public to support the search teams: “These people today are ready to work as hard as possible to find you. We love you. We are here. We won’t stop. Everyone pray for these people going out today, pray for their strength to keep going. To find our guys.”