Dad Hailed a Hero for Protecting His Children in Freezing Weather Charged with Aggravated Child Abuse and Child Torture By Liam Quinn

A Utah father who was previously hailed as a hero for protecting his three kids while they were all lost on a hike is now charged with child abuse.

Micah Smith first made headlines in October when he and his three children got caught in a storm on a hike in Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.

Smith, his 8-year-old daughter, his 4-year-old son and 2-year-old son were reported missing and rescued a day later. Two of the kids were taken to the hospital in critical condition, police said, while Smith was listed as being in “fair condition” and the third child was stable.

In a since-deleted GoFundMe, the organizer wrote that Smith “bravely sacrificed himself” to protect the children.

Now, Smith is charged with aggravated child abuse and one count of child torture, Salt Lake County jail records show.

In charging documents reported by KSL, Fox 13 and ABC 4, authorities accuse Smith of choosing to “summit a mountain over the safety of the kids.”

“During the 24-hour ordeal, the victims expressed that they were cold, tired and wanted to go home,” authorities allege, according to KSL. “The defendant, who is supposed to be the protector of his children, was ill-prepared and extremely selfish.”

When they were rescued, Smith was allegedly “behaving oddly and did not appear to be concerned about the children,” authorities say, per Fox 13.

The outlets reported that the 4-year-old remains in the hospital. After the boy was taken by paramedics, he required 25 minutes of CPR on the way to the hospital, according to the reports.

When the 4-year-old arrived at the hospital, according to ABC 4, his body temperature was 62.6 degrees and he later suffered a stroke and needed a portion of his skull removed.

Per Fox 13, the 8-year-old told authorities that her father had said they were going to go on a long hike that soon devolved into her needing to perform CPR on her brother.

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Police allege that a video from that day found on Smith’s phone captures the 8-year-old asking, “Are we going to freeze to death, daddy?,” according to all three outlets.

KSL reported that the hike they were on was considered difficult and not for children or beginners.

It is not immediately clear if Smith has entered a plea or retained an attorney.

KSL and Fox 13 both cited authorities that a month before the hike, Smith had an interaction with police in Cottonwood, Utah, during which he reportedly expressed suicidal thoughts.