Woman, man been missing nearly a week in separate incidents

A search for a young woman believed missing in the Great Bear Wilderness for several days continued as the Hungry Horse News went to press.

Madeline Connelly, 25, went for a day hike in the Great Bear Wilderness on Thursday, May 4 with her medium-sized dog. She didn’t return that night, and family members in East Glacier started to worry.

Connelly was not prepared to spend a night in the backcountry and had intended to return after a day of hiking. On Saturday, her vehicle was found at the Bear Creek trailhead near Essex.

Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said that North Valley Search and Rescue, Two Bear Air Rescue, and Glacier National Park personnel have been helping sheriff deputies in the search for Connelly.

The search continued Tuesday, with the U.S. Forest Service joining the other agencies.

Curry noted that there are bears in the area, but the search parties had found no evidence of a bear encounter.

Separately, deputies and members of Flathead Search and Rescue are actively searching Kalispell for a man from Spokane who disappeared May 4.

Corey Michael Flannigan, 26, was allegedly driving a stolen vehicle that was recovered crashed on Rose Crossing Thursday night, according to a press release from Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry.

The last confirmed contact with Flannigan was on May 2 in the Kalispell area. He is described as a 6-foot, 190-pound white male with light brown shaved hair and blue eyes.

According to a social media post by Flannigan’s family, he last told his family he would be checking into the Red Lion Hotel. They also claimed he didn’t steal the car — it was a rental.

The Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the details of Flannigan’s disappearance, which are considered suspicious.

Anyone with information on either missing person can contact the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office at 406-758-5585.S