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UPDATE: Utah Man Subject Of Search-And-Rescue At Zion National Park

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SAR briefing at Zion National Park/NPS

About 40 searchers headed out into the eastern side of Zion National Park on Wednesday to look for a missing Utah man/NPS

Editor's note: This updates with a body presumed to be that of the missing hiker found.

Searchers on Wednesday found a body believed to be that of a missing hiker at the end of Deertrap Mountain Trail in Zion National Park. The backpack and clothing description match that of missing hiker, 47-year-old Maurice Harris of Utah, a park release said.

Deertrap Mountain Trail is a deadend spur off of the East Rim Trail.

Harris was last seen at the trailhead of East Rim Trail heading toward the Weeping Rock Shuttle Stop in Zion Canyon on Monday at 4 p.m. He had been dropped off by a friend and was reported overdue at 10 p.m. after failing to rendezvous with the same friend at Weeping Rock Shuttle Stop as planned.

A hasty search of the East Rim Trail and Cable Mountain were completed by park search and rescue on Tuesday, followed by a helicopter search with the help of Grand Canyon National Park. Overnight, the Utah Department of Public Safety flew the area looking for heat signatures, and Kane County Search and Rescue searched roads and two-tracks on Zion’s east boundary. No sign of the visitor was found.

A methodical search was begun Wednesday morning with six teams, including responders from Kane and Washington Counties and several canine units. Each team was to search a different section of the East Rim Trail, the intersecting trails, and the side canyons. Approximately 40 people were assigned to the incident.

The East Rim Trailhead the trail points directly toward the beautiful sandstone cliffs this area is famous for. The trail climbs up onto the plateau for the first three miles.

Comments

I've hiked that in about 6 hours and I'm slow.  I hope they can find him.  There are plenty of places that he could have fallen, wandered off trail or even off property.


The end of Deertrap Mountain Trail over looks the Canyon.  It is a beautiful spot to sit and enjoy Zion and overlooks the Lodge.  I wonder if he missed a turn when he got to the intersection of the trails.


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