An Australian hiker was found dead on Wednesday on one of the most popular thru-hikes in the country. The 28-year-old man was reported missing by his family, who received updates from him via a Garmin GPS device and Facebook Messenger. He was hiking the Continental Divide Trail between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks when he sent his final communication on July 23.
After several days without additional contact, the hiker’s family contacted authorities on Monday, and Teton County Search & Rescue began the search. By Wednesday evening, searchers found his body on the west slope of the Tetons, near an area known as the Wigwams. Available evidence suggests the man fell from a steep, high-altitude ridgeline separating Grand Teton National Park and the Jedediah Smith Wilderness, Teton County SAR said in a statement.
The hiker had started his hike in Canada, the northern point of the 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail, which traverses Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. His remains were discovered by a helicopter team that flew to his last known location. The team spotted a bright orange backpack, and then discovered his body soon after, below the ridge south of North Wigwam Peak.
“Teton County SAR sends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, and wishes to express its gratitude to the partnering federal agencies who assisted in the investigation,” the team said.
A Tragic Week for Hikers
Hiking deaths often spike during summer months, when more people are hitting the trails and scrambling up mountains to take advantage of the warmer temperatures at high elevation. But even at the peak of summer, the last week has seen an unusually high number of fatal mishaps among hikers.
Teen boy dies from lightning in Colorado: While hiking Colorado’s Mount Blue Sky on Sunday, 15-year-old Levi Strobel died from a lightning strike, The Colorado Sun reported. Four other people were seriously injured, including Levi’s younger brother, who was airlifted to a hospital in the Denver metro area.
61-year-old dies from heat on Phoenix hike: Richard Fletcher, 61, left his home early Saturday morning to hike Phoenix’s South Mountain. He never returned and was later found dead on the trail by a cyclist. Investigators said his death was consistent with a heat-related or medical event, authorities told local media.
62-year-old dies while hiking in New Hampshire: A hiker suffered a medical emergency while on a popular trail in New Hampshire’s White Mountains on Saturday. He was on the Welch-Dickey trail in Waterville Valley when he collapsed. The state’s national guard evacuated him via helicopter, but he was later pronounced dead, New Hampshire Public Radio reported.
Two hikers die in Banff National Park: A woman in her 20s died Tuesday after falling from a mountain near Marvel Peak in Banff National Park, Canadian police said. That followed the death on Saturday of a 65-year-old Calgary man, who fell from Mount Temple, also in Banff, the CBC reported.
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