A New Jersey hiker has been missing for over a week after he headed out on a difficult trail in the Grand Canyon – where 123,000 acres are currently ablaze.
Thomas Daniel Gibbs, 35, of Freehold, NJ, was last heard from on July 22 at around noon after he was believed to have been hiking in the Grandview Trail and Horseshoe Mesa that day.
Concerned family and friends raised the alarm on his silence six days later and reported him missing, the National Park Service said.
Officials found his Tesla Cybertruck the same day in the Grandview Point parking lot on the South Rim.
He is described as a white male of 6ft 1 inches in height, with brown hair and eyes.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Bravo megafire has been raging across the Grand Canyon for over a month, singeing 123,434 acres, and has only been contained to 13 percent.
At least 80 structures have been destroyed, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge inside the park at the North Rim, after it was first reported on July 9. The Kaibab Lodge is also in jeopardy, reports 13 News.
It swelled in size at the end of July, burning over 105,000 acres and subsequently becoming a megafire.
Lightning strikes are believed to have ignited the fires, while a combination of strong winds, low humidity, and high daily temperatures spiralled their rapid expansion, officials said.
The Grandview Trail is described as “a rocky, exposed, strenuous trail” that requires hiking experience and caution, say park officials. Only experienced desert hikers are advised to take on the trail, and should come readily prepared with a detailed plan as there is no drinking water on the path. The most treacherous parts of the hike include the Bright Angel, South Kaibab, and Hermit Trails.
In a statement to Fox News Sunday, the Grand Canyon National Park said that search efforts were still ongoing.
“Ground searchers extensively searched the Grandview Trail and its side drainages over the last two days. In addition, drones and search dogs from Coconino County Search and Rescue were utilized, along with high-angle technical rescue efforts near Grandview Point," the park said.
“The ongoing Dragon Bravo Fire did not hinder search efforts. Responders from Grand Canyon National Park, along with Coconino County Search and Rescue, worked collaboratively to ensure a thorough search of the area despite challenging conditions."
Grand Canyon officials said that no evidence of Gibbs had been found to date and that search efforts had been scaled back in recent days because of a lack of clues and evidence to suggest he was in the greater Grandview Trail area.
“Investigations remain ongoing, and if additional clues or evidence are discovered, our search and rescue team will promptly follow up with search efforts in the field," they added.
Park rangers are urging anyone who was also in the Grandview Trail area around July 22 and may have seen Gibbs or has information on his whereabouts to contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009.
Tips can also be submitted online at www.nps.gov/ISB or via email at nps_isb@nps.gov.
