Michelle Vanek, 35, a Colorado woman, went missing on September 24, 2005, and now her remains have finally been discovered after a local pastor claimed that she appeared in his vision. The mom of four was last seen attempting to climb the Mount of the Holy Cross, which is situated at a stunning 14,007 feet in the expansive wilderness of Colorado.
According to Eric Sawyer, a family friend who accompanied Vanek during the hike, she had taken a wrong turn during the scaling and began suffering from altitude sickness. She asked Sawyer to continue the climb while she was taking a break at a prearranged spot. As told, her hiking companion carried on. However, when he finally returned, he could not find Vanek anywhere.
For two decades, Vanek remained missing with little to no clue about what happened on that hike when she went to take a break. That all changed after Scott Beebe, a local pastor, had a vision about her.
Beebe, who volunteered with the local mountain rescue service, was also a part of the initial search for Vanek. He claimed that he had an unusual dream, where the missing mom appeared. According to the Daily Star, Beebe claimed, “She [Vanek] told me she wanted to be found by a team of women.”
This request was too unusual. The pastor said, “Every guy I’ve told about the dream tells me I’m nuts. Every woman, they all say, ‘Yeah, of course.'”. There was only one man who instantly believed Beebe, and it was Ben, Vanek’s husband. Ben knew that his wife was a “deeply spiritual, religious person.” He said, “For her to come to Scott Beebe and say that-that was her.”
Missing on Mount of the Holy Cross: The Mysterious Disappearance of Michelle Vanek
A fitness enthusiast and mother of four, Michelle Vanek, 35, set out to conquer Colorado’s Mount of the Holy Cross in 2005. Straying onto the grueling Halo Ridge Route, Michelle faced fatigue,… pic.twitter.com/KwBEDQ9tMo
— Locations Unknown (@locationsunknwn) January 19, 2025
This sparked a new search for the missing mom; however, this time by a group of six women. The all-female Vail Mountain Rescue was determined to rethink their search strategy. The group identified the loopholes in the original search and discovered that the northeast side of the mountain remained unexplored.
In September 2024, almost a year after the all-female crew search began, Erika German and Zach Smith from the team ventured into the difficult northeast side of the mountain, using advanced map technology.
It didn’t take long for them to come across a red fabric, a blue mitten, a ski pole, and a rustic backpack. Just when they almost believed that the items belonged to Vanek, they also found bones. After the local sheriff was notified, more bones and items were discovered.
What a bizarre and interesting example of the differences in how men and women think and behave. An all-women search team finally found Michelle Vanek. I went to her memorial 19 yrs ago. Her husband is still my dentist. Their family finally has peace. 🙏 https://t.co/iuJiXRHXlp
— Jeanna Hoch (@JeannaHoch) September 24, 2024
But there was no need for DNA identification, as the rescue group and the authorities shortly came across an intact spine and a neck bone with a lavender-beaded necklace. Vanek’s husband, Ben, quickly confirmed that it belonged to his wife, as they bought it during a Las Vegas trip.
Following an extensive forensic examination, authorities now believe that the woman died from a steep fall. It is believed that Vanek was hiking towards Lake Patricia when he fell down a sheer 30-foot drop near the meadows.
“It feels like peace. I don’t try to use the word closure – that means the end. She will always be a part of our lives, but this is a chapter we can now close for Michelle,” said Ben Vanek.
