Editor's note: This updates with additional information from the park.
A woman missing in Zion National Park for nearly two weeks was found Sunday after the park received a tip. Shortly after searchers found Holly Suzanne Courtier, she left the park with her family without seeking any medical treatment.
The park release did not provide any details about the 38-year-old California woman's condition, or where in the park she was found. The park's acting chief of interpretation could not address either question, nor could she say whether Courtier had been lost or was simply camping out of the way in the park.
Park officials were tipped to the woman's location by another visitor who had spotted her and called in the information.
“We are overjoyed that she was found safely today. We would like to thank the rangers and search teams who relentlessly looked for her day and night and never gave up hope," the family said in a statement released by Zion officials. "We are also so grateful to the countless volunteers who were generous with their time, resources and support. This wouldn’t have been possible without the network of people who came together.”
Three days ago friends set up a GoFundMe page to raise money "to help cover the costs of her search and possible after care when she is found." As of Sunday afternoon it had generated $9,602 towards a $15,000 goal.
"Please continue sharing this page as Holly will need medical care in the days moving forward. She has no medical insurance to cover the costs and your donations will help," wrote Jaime Strong, the campaign's organizer.
Courtier, who was described as a fit, experienced hiker by her daughter in an interview with CNN, was last seen on October 6 when she got off a park shuttle bus not far from Zion Lodge at the Grotto trailhead in Zion Canyon, a deep, red-rock chasm in southwestern Utah. Searchers intensified their efforts this weekend, bringing in dog teams and a drone from Grand Canyon National Park to help in the hunt for Courtier.
The 5-foot-3, 100-pound woman had been touring national parks since losing her job as a nanny earlier this summer, according to her daughter. Although she went missing in October, the month has been dry and mild, with daily temperatures in the mid-70s and overnight lows in the 40s.
Comments
While the news is great, something smells a bit fishy here.
Agreed, It's unusual for someone traveling alone to leave her cell phone at home (reported elsewhere) and to not have a few more details as to where she was found or her condition. I also question the priorities of someone who has the resources to travel the country but choses to not have medical insurance.
Since when does the NPS (or other SAR organizations) not release basic information such as location found or circumstances surrounding the expenditure of government resoursec to effect a rescue. I suspect there is somehting more going on here that Investigation Services Branch does not want released yet.
I agree it sounds fishy. It rather sounds as though the woman may have had some sort of possible mental breakdown and decided to simply 'bug out' as it were. Thus the need for 'medical expense coverage'. Another article also states a myriad of supplies she had in her possesion including a hammock, a backpack , several items of warm clothing as well as a blanket so I'm thinking 'bug out' bigtime. Covid-blues perhaps. Seems a bit misadventurous to leave behind a means of communication while also not letting anyone know of your intinerary. Her accountability was null and void it seems. I feel for her daughter. The 'what-ifs' are a terrible place to be left. So glad for a happy outcome nonetheless. peace
Yes, this is a miraculous story. Zion doesn't contain all that many sources of water, especially during the drought that has been plaguing the region this year. The stillwater sources that might still remain are located in terrain that an experienced hiker might have been able to identify on a map and the few streams all pretty much flow downhill toward populated areas within a few days travel, which implies that, for nearly two weeks, she must have somehow been immobilized and unable to navigate using those kinds of water sources or, worse, isolated from those water sources and therefore without water. For even an experienced hiker to have survived that long, under those conditions and possibly without water, is a truly miraculous confluence of events in Zion, even in October.
The article reports the park spokesperson couldn't say whether this lady "had been lost or was simply camping out of the way in the park" and a rescue spokesperson indicated that the lady "will need medical care," but "has no medical insurance" will need donations in addition to her rescue costs. This poor lady has my sympathies for what she has been through, as have all folks who suffer mishaps.
However, there is a broader issue. Within the last year, also at Zion, we had an irresponsible heir, scion of a Utah family that had plenty of resources to raise him better, engage in an illegal base-jumping escapade that cost the park far more to resolve than the rich young fellow paid in fines. Just over the past few weeks or so, we have seen a number of other incidents where large amounts of park funding and public resources have been consumed in unfortunate ways. In Yellowstone, we had a family fail to properly supervise their toddler who fell into a hot spring; another individual who had illegally entered when the park was actually closed was trying to take a "selfie" and backed into a hot spring; there have been unnecessary bear problems in which the bear always ends up on the short end; and there have been a number of visitors get too close to bison and get tossed around. There have been other unnecessary "humans exhibiting poor judgment or bad behavior" problems at Yosemite, the same at Saguaro, the same at Mount Rainier, the same at Death Valley, the same at Glen Canyon, Grand Canyon, Denali, Mesa Verde, Grand Tetons, and Wrangell-St. Elias and those are just the easy ones to quickly reference.
Again, my sincere sympathies go out to all folks who suffer mishaps; however, our parks are already starved for funding, even just to clean the toilets, and these incidents use up those limited funds. I know that the NPS believes that it needs to sustain public support through low entrance fees, lax law enforcement, an obsequious approach to even the lowest form of disrespectfully lawless visitor, and a general focus on parks as entertainment. I know because I have seen it and I understand it. However, there is a limit to everything and I believe that the NPS has reached and exceeded that limit. Allowing park visitors to do as they please without sufficient regard for either the visitors safety or the parks' missions costs us all, visitors, park supporters, and taxpayers. The parks need to spend more on preventative and interactive law enforcement, visitor controls, and permitting processes and procedures, including backcountry and even just hiking permits and requirements, in order to reduce both the risks to the parks and their visitors and the post-mishap rescue, medical, and law enforcement costs. There, I said it and I'm not sorry.
This woman is an IDIOT!! Who goes out on a hike without a cell phone? Especially an "experienced" hiker as they keep referring to her on the news. I am so sick of these hikers and other thrill seekers who decide to go out into the wilderness or climb a mountain, etc all alone and then expect our Emergency workers to save them because they are ill prepared. There is NO excuse for going out alone without a cell phone. She deserves what she gets. She is putting our emergency workers, who also have families, in jeopardy because they refuse to prepare themesleves adequately for an emergency. She should be charged for using resources and putting other lives at risk. And what will happen to the $15k that was raised on GoFundMe?
Definitely fishy!!!!
I completely agree but today the story was updated in national news that apparently she hit her head and had a concussion. Its one of those plausible explanations that leaves out the dramatic plot device we all might he looking for here...what really irks my brain is why with all her experience did she not tell someone where she was headed and what time she would be back. Also proper gear like a backpack with some necessity for survival wasnt mentioned and something like a life straw , or matches, and or a metal container to boil water is important. Something doesn't add up. Maybe t here is more and rhey don't want to tell us.