Grand Canyon Hiker, 83, Found After 36 Hours Missing

An overnight search through scorched Grand Canyon backcountry ended with an 83-year-old hiker alive—and waving at a helicopter, Fox News reports. Authorities say Utah resident Gerald Guinn, described as an experienced outdoorsman, vanished around 12:30pm last Monday after he and a companion split up on a short hike near the park's remote northeastern boundary to look for a historic object in the area, CBS News reports. The companion located the site they were looking for, but Guinn never reappeared, prompting a call for help after hours of fruitless searching, USA Today reports.

Teams from Grand Canyon National Park, Coconino County, and Kane County combed the burned forest on foot, with drones, dogs, and aircraft sweeping the area. A cellphone ping Tuesday narrowed the search, and a park helicopter eventually spotted Guinn about 2.5 miles from where he was last seen. The chopper couldn't land on the steep terrain, so rescuers hiked in 1.5 miles, found Guinn cold and unable to walk but in good spirits around 6:30pm, and began carrying him out by stretcher. Roughly 20 rescuers rotated through the difficult carry, clearing downed trees and flagging hazards, finally reaching a road around 1:30am Wednesday. Guinn was evaluated by medics and released.