A man who went missing in the Grand Canyon for 11 days has been found alive, national park officials have said.
Martin Edward O’Connor, 58, was evacuated from the inner canyon via helicopter on Thursday morning in the Grand Canyon National Park.
According to the National Park Service, Mr O’Connor was located on the New Hance Trail, one of the canyon’s most difficult hiking trails.
Other hikers reported seeing him on the trail before park rangers were able to rescue him.
Mr O’Connor is in stable condition and undergoing a medical evaluation while waiting for family members to join him, reported CNN.
Mr O’Connor, from Texas, went missing on 22 December and was last seen at a lodge in Grand Canyon Village. He was believed to have been travelling alone.
Temperatures in the Grand Canyon during winter can drop to below freezing at night, with snow and ice creating hazardous conditions for visitors.
After Mr O'Connor was found, the national park service issued an alert for dangerous weather conditions, warning hikers of icy roads and footpaths.
The New Hance Trail is only recommended to highly experienced hikers as it “is not maintained and may be the most difficult trail on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon”, according to the National Park Service website.
