Late last month, authorities called off the search for a Minnesota man who had been missing for weeks after heading off on a solo hiking trip into the woods of Wyoming in late July.
This week, however, made a heartbreaking discovery as they found the body of the missing 38-year-old hiker and father of two, Grant Gardner.
Gardner Went Missing in July
Gardner was last heard from on July 29 after heading off on a solo hiking trip into the woods of Wyoming.
After his disappearance, Gardner’s wife, Lauren, told Cowboy State Daily that she was hopeful her husband would return home, explaining that he was an experienced adventurer who had “been hiking for over a decade” and knew how to handle even the most extreme conditions.
“I’m in shock, I think, and trying to stay strong for the kids,” she told the outlet. “This has never happened in all the years he’s gone out. He knows what he’s doing and has the skills. I’m just hoping right now. He’s used to this stuff, and he’s very detail-oriented.”
The couple had an 11-year-old and 13-year-old child together.
Authorities Suspend Search in August
After an extensive search and rescue operation lasting for weeks, authorities eventually suspended the search in late August.
On Wednesday, Aug. 20, the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release that it had “exhausted all resources” and called off the search for the missing father of two.
“In consultation with family members, I have made the heartbreaking and difficult decision to suspend active search and rescue operations for Mr. Gardner,” Sheriff Ken Blackburn announced. “With weather conditions and other factors updated in our search models, we have to face the reality that the most optimistic survival odds have run out.”
Gardner’s Body Was Found
Though the active search was suspended on Aug. 20, Gardner’s body was found on Sept. 1, just over a month after he went missing.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, Gardner’s body was found underneath a ledge near the summit of the 13,000-foot Cloud Peak by a professional climbing team from North Carolina.
“While it’s not the outcome we hoped for, we are hopeful this will provide much-needed peace and closure to the family,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office expressed its gratitude to the professional climbing team that found his body.
“Special thanks to a spectacular professional group of technical climbers who were in exactly the right spot, at the right moment, with the right light, to notice a small piece of fabric on a pack that was otherwise undetectable, for selflessly aborting their plans and working with SAR Teams to find Gardner, providing closure to his family,” the sheriff’s office said in its statement.
