Overview
- An 83-year-old Kanab, Utah, man named Gerald Guinn went missing after he and a companion split up during a short hike on July 21 along the Grand Canyon and Kaibab National Forest border.
- Kane County Search and Rescue began an overnight effort that used drones, search dogs and ground teams before the National Park Service added helicopter reconnaissance and additional crews.
- He was found on July 22 after a cell-phone ping narrowed his location and an NPS helicopter spotted him waving about 2.5 miles from where he was last seen.
- Steep, rugged terrain prevented a helicopter landing, so a Kane County team hiked about 1.5 miles to reach Guinn and about 20 rescuers carried him to a road, concluding the operation around 1:30 a.m. on July 23.
- Guinn was cold and unable to walk but alert; rescuers gave him warm layers and fluids, EMS evaluated him at the road, and he was cleared and released, highlighting how multiagency teams and technology work together in remote Grand Canyon rescues.