Remains found Wednesday in Badlands National Park could be those of a Nebraska man who went missing there this summer/NPS map

Remains found in Badlands National Park in South Dakota could be those of a Nebraska man who went missing in the park earlier this year.

Park officials said Wednesday that four backpackers reported Tuesday evening that they had found a backpack and other personal items in the Sage Creek Wilderness Area.  Rangers hiked out to the site Wednesday morning and discovered human remains in a dry creek bed at the bottom of a ravine.

An interagency investigation was to be conducted into the identity of the individual and the cause of death.

In mid-July, after several days of looking, authorities scaled back the search for Joshua Jacobsen, 39, of Laurel, Nebraska.  Park rangers found Jacobsen’s vehicle in the Sage Creek Campground on Friday morning, July 17, and began a search of the area.

A multi-agency search continued in the Sage Creek Wilderness Area the following day. Throughout the search, park officials found no evidence to suggest his direction of travel.

“We have explored all the probable areas Mr. Jacobsen may have been in, but none of the areas produced any leads,” said Ranger Dan Baker, who led the search effort.