Search continues for Montana hiker, believed dead

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) -- Search crews continue to look for a Montana State University graduate student who is believed to have died in a climbing accident in the Beartooth Mountains in southern Montana.

A helicopter crew with Two Bear Air flew over the search area near Red Lodge on Tuesday to film several areas of interest, The Billings Gazette reported. Search dogs are also in the area.

Tatum Morell, 23, set up camp on July 1 and contacted her mother in Ketchum, Idaho that evening using a satellite communication device. She is believed to have started climbing the next day, but Carbon County officials found no evidence she returned to her tent.

Searchers have been unable to get a signal from her cellphone or satellite device. Searchers and her family have said they believe she had an accident and was unable to activate her satellite device.

This was Morell's first trip into the Beartooth Mountains and she had planned on climbing five peaks above 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) in elevation. Her base camp was at 10,000 feet (3,048 meters).

She previously finished a trip in Gallatin County during which she climbed five peaks in five days, officials said.