Wyoming search and rescue officials have recovered the body of a missing hiker who vanished in the Bighorn Mountains at the end of July, nearly a week after their initial search was called off.
Grant Gardner’s body was discovered on August 26 by a professional climbing team from North Carolina who noticed a backpack underneath a nearby ledge in the Cloud Peak wilderness area.
When search and rescue personnel arrived at the scene, they discovered Gardner’s body nearby.
The Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office issued the following statement: “Grant Gardner’s remains were discovered near the backpack. Gardner was dressed in clothing that closely matched the terrain he was climbing in.
“A difficult/dangerous recovery was conducted, and Grant Gardner is being brought home to his family.”
Gardner was last seen at the end of July, before embarking on a three-day hike through the Big Horn National Forest. On August 1, he did not return from his trek in the Misty Moon Lake area, where he planned to climb Cloud Peak, which stands 13,171 feet (4,015 meters).
He was last heard from on July 29, when he texted his wife to confirm that he had climbed the mountain. After 20 days, rescuers called off their search, which included the use of helicopters, planes, ground teams, and dogs.
“In consultation with family members, I have made the heartbreaking and difficult decision to suspend active search and rescue operations for Mr. Gardner,” Big Horn County Sheriff Ken Blackburn said in an August 21 statement.
The search was hampered by strong winds, lightning, thunder, and difficult underfoot terrain in the mountains.
