Vigil held for Mich man missing in Mont

HUDSONVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) - As search crews continue to scour a Montana national park for a missing Hudsonville man, family and friends in West Michigan held a vigil to pray for his safe return.

Jakson Kreiser, 19, went missing in Glacier National Park on Saturday while taking a day-long hike from Logan Pass to Avalanche Lake.

"If there was one person that I had to choose to be put in this situation, it'd be Jakson because he's going to find his way out," said friend Tyler Doane.

The prayer meeting for Kreiser was held Thursday at Baldwin Street Middle School in Hudsonville.

Dozens gathered at the vigil. They were optimistic that Kreiser will be found, but bowed their heads in unison to pray for him.

"It really just displays the optimism that everybody has about the situation," said Doane. "We're a community that does come together in situations like this and this is just to show Jakson's family, and even Jakson when he makes it back, that we're all here for him."

Wednesday, a partial boot print was found and another hiker provided information to search crews. Thursday, another boot print was found.

A problem looms in the forecast: Showers, thunderstorms and winds are expected for Thursday and Friday across the park, which may limit search efforts, according to a release. Aerial efforts, in particular, may be jeopardized.

"If he was here, we could help with searching and we would know the area," said friend Elissa Jensen, who attended the vigil. "Him being way out there, the only thing we can do is come together."

Kreiser was working as a seasonal employee at Lake McDonald lodge. A park service investigation found he had very limited hiking experience.

The route he intended to hike from Logan Pass to Avalanche Lake can be dangerous. The landscape had rock cliffs, waterfalls and slippery rocks. The descent is more than 4,000 feet in some areas, the release said.

Kreiser's parents have gone to Montana to aid in the search.