Khol "Daniel" LamThach Memorial Fundraiser

On July 17, 2022, Khol “Daniel” LamThach went missing after hiking the Trinity Peaks area near Silverton, Colorado. A couple of hikers found his cell phone on Elk Creek Trail at the Vestal Peak Trail confluence, about 3.5 miles from Animas River. Searches included teams on foot, in the air, and using infrared technology to track any movement near the Trinity Peaks area in San Juan National Forest. Although his car and cell phone were found, search and rescue teams could not find Daniel. Daniel is a friend to all and is loved by everyone that knows him. He is kind, considerate, adventurous, and an avid hiker, and he loves his family, friends, and being outdoors.

So, in honor of Khol “Daniel” LamThach, we are putting together a GoFundMe for the San Juan County Colorado Search and Rescue Team. For hours, days, and weeks, these brave men and women gave their time, talents, and effort in hopes of finding Daniel and bringing him home. Even after the search for Daniel was called off, many of these amazing people continued to go out looking for him, offering up their own time and money to try and track down even a glimpse of where Daniel could be. They willingly and selflessly exhausted their efforts, searching through treacherous terrain for days to find him.

The people who took part in the search for Daniel are made up of a group of VOLUNTEERS. These everyday heroes risk their own lives to help find those who’ve been lost in hopes of reuniting families with their separated loved ones. During this holiday season, we want to show our appreciation for these selfless heroes by putting together a GoFundMe to help show a small fraction of our gratitude for them.

Every dollar that goes to GoFundMe will be matched by Daniel’s parents, Khol Thach and Pho Lam, up to $10,000.

We'd like to give thanks to: Leo Lloyd, Jonathan W., Matt K. , Haley F., Erin L., Hannah G., Colton F., Kyle L., Ian E., Carly B., Micheal B., Jay L., Ben S., Luke A. , Caitlyn M., Kelly W., Rachel L., and Emma S.

We'd also like to thank: La Plata County Search and Rescue team, Bruce Conrad, Flight for Life and Helitracks, the Durango-Silverton train transporting the team members in and out of the field, USFS spreading the word in the backcountry and offering guidance with the conditions, a group of firefighters from Dolores, CO who helped in the search, and for the received advice from other search and rescue teams across the state of Colorado to make sure we were utilizing all the resources available to us.

Lastly, We’d like to give a massive thank you to Melissa Flynn, Cameron Crowell, Tyler George, Steve Lowrance, and the many others who helped search for our son, brother, and friend. We truly cannot put into words how much you all mean to us and how grateful we are for you.

Donations can be made through GoFundMe or Pho Lam's Venmo: @pho-lam