The Disappearance of Emily Rea
33 year old Emily Rea was last seen in Hungry Horse, Montana on July 16, 2024. She disappeared while paddleboarding on the Hungry Horse Reservoir.
Background
Emily was born in Massachusetts, and lived there until her family moved to Athens, Georgia when she was 10 years old. She is currently a resident of West Glacier, Montana.
Described as an outdoors enthusiast, she is a beloved staff member at the Skola School in the Whitefish community. Before settling in Flathead Valley, Emily spent time salmon fishing in Alaska.
Disappearance
Sometime after 8:30 pm on July 16, 2024, Emily Rea got into her paddleboard at the Riverside Boat Launch in Hungry Horse, Montana.
Emily hasn’t been seen or heard from since. She was reported missing to the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office after she failed to return home.
Investigation
On July 17, 2024, Emily’s vehicle, a black 2011 Honda CRV, was found at the Riverside Boat Launch parking lot.
Later that evening her paddleboard was found upside down in the Flossy Creek area, about 2 miles west of the Riverside Boat Launch.
Based off security footage, cell phone data, and her vehicle location, it is believed she was alone when she placed her paddleboat into the Hungry Horse Reservoir sometime after 8:30 pm on July 16, 2024.
Emily’s cell phone has not been found. It last pinged to a tower on South Fork Road between Martin City & the Riverside Boat Launch.
Boat teams, k9 teams, ground teams, drone teams, volunteers, two Bear Air helicopters, and divers have been used in the search for Rea, but have turned up no further clues as to her whereabouts.
Whereabouts
The location of Emily Rea remains unknown. Emily’s case is classified as endangered missing and remains unsolved.
Appearance
White female with brown hair and brown eyes. Emily stands 5’5 tall and weighs 170 pounds.
Her lower lip is pierced, and she has a tattoo of an Alaskan fish on her upper left back.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Emily Rea please contact the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office at (406) 758-5585.
Emily’s family is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to her location. The reward applies to non-water recovery information, due to the intensive search and rescue work actively underway at the Hungry Horse Reservoir by trained personnel.