Hiker Found After Spending 2 Weeks Lost in Zion National Park
OutdoorHub Editor: Keenan Crow 10.19.20
A hiker who was reported missing in Utah’s Zion National Park earlier this month was finally found over the weekend after a desperate search and rescue mission, park officials said on Sunday.
Holly Courtier, a 38-year-old mother, seemingly vanished on October 6 while visiting the National Park in Utah. She had apparently taken a shuttle bus to the Angels Landing trailhead, but failed to make it back by the end of the day. Days turned into weeks, and Holly’s family began to worry.
At last, however, Search and Rescue teams received a “credible tip” from a park visitor who said they had laid eyes on Courtier in the park. They found her shortly after on October 18 and she was finally reunited with her family.
“We are overjoyed that she was found safely today,” the family said in a statement. “We would like to thank the rangers and search teams who relentlessly looked for her day and night and never gave up hope. We are also so grateful to the countless volunteers who were generous with their time, resources and support. This wouldn’t have been possible without the network of people who came together.”
A 38-year-old California mother who vanished in Utah’s Zion National Park nearly two weeks ago was found and reunited with her family. @ErinNBCNews has the details. pic.twitter.com/VvJIpSD9ZZ
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 19, 2020
Zion National Park expands over 230 miles. It’s a vast landscape holding several plateaus, sandstone canyons, and also contains part of the Virgin River. Further, the height difference from the lowest valley to the highest peak within the park is 5,000 feet.
In short, you definitely wouldn’t want to be out exploring Zion without some hiking experience under your belt. Which Courtier’s daughter, Kailey Chambers, explained to Fox News how her mom is an avid hiker who loves being outdoors.
“She absolutely loves hiking and it’s one of her favorite things to do and when she needs clarity and to spend some time with herself, nature is her happy place,” Chambers said.
“This was her dream, to see national parks,” Chambers went on. “She lost her job as a nanny due to Covid-19. The family could not afford to keep paying her. She made that a positive thing – said that gave her the time to get out, see the parks.”
You have to love her spirit, and the fact that she seeks the outdoors when she needs clarity – I think many of us can resonate with that – however, let this be a lesson that it’s nothing to play around with. Getting lost in the wilderness is a lot easier than people may think, and it can turn into a life or death situation real quick. This is a perfect example of why you should always let someone know where you’re going and when you plan to be back for instances just like this.
Zion National Park issued a thank you to all of those who assisted in helping find Courtier, including the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, K-9 units, search teams and rangers from other national parks, and volunteers.
