PHOENIX – A man who was missing in the Grand Canyon for 11 days was found alive Thursday, park officials said.
Martin E. O’Connor, 58, disappeared Dec. 22 and was last seen at the Yavapai Lodge on the South Rim of Grand Canyon, a press release from the Grand Canyon National Park Service said.
O’Connor is from La Porte, Texas, which is part of the Houston metro area.
At the time, he was believed to have been traveling alone and stayed at the lodge from Dec. 17 to Dec. 22, the press release said.
He was found about 10 a.m. Thursday by park rangers and evacuated from the inner canyon by helicopter, according to the press release. Later that day, the park service issued an alert for dangerous weather conditions, citing icy roads, footpaths and trails.
Hikers told park rangers they saw O’Connor along the New Hance Trail on Wednesday afternoon, which is where rangers found him Thursday morning, the press release said.
Grand Canyon NPS recommends only highly experienced canyon hikers attempt New Hance Trail, which “is not maintained and may be the most difficult established trail on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon,” according to the NPS website.
Follow Chelsea Curtis on Twitter: @curtis_chels
Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/01/03/missing-grand-canyon-hiker-found-alive-after-11-days-park/2802823001/
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