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
I think everyone is sorry when someone is hurt, lost, or dies in our national parks. The parks are there to enjoy and get away from our usual lives. They can't speak for themselves and that is sad. They'd probably ask us to be nice and respect the land and the animals innthe oark. BUT so many current visitors feel they can fo anything they feel like doing. I guess if you don't have respect for yourself, you won't for anything else. The parks have rules for a reason - follow them! Sorry ACLU.
I'm so glad this lady was found! That being said there is no possible way she could have survived for two weeks with no water. Since the family says she knew not to drink the river water then what was she drinking? I've heard of people surviving for up to a week by drinking their own urine. Thinking of the hiker who got his arm lodged after a fall into a rock cavern and later wrote the book "Between a Rock and a Hard Place". That was the way he kept himself from becoming dehydrated as gross as it sounds. He also cut off his own arm with a pocket knife in order to escape. She has to have had SOME sort of water source or brought plenty of water with her but there's no way she could have had two weeks worth of water. Although I suppose boiling the water from the river might have been an answer but I've heard nothing on the news that she had the equipment with her to do that? Also not telling anyone where she was going and not taking her cell phone with her almost sounds like a possible suicide attempt. Perhaps she changed her mind about whatever her plan was. Albeit it would be a strange way to take someone's life. Something is definitely not adding up. She could have gone all this time with no food but not without any water.
The family has put out more details to add to the confusion. https://www.abc4.com/news/top-stories/holly-courtier-planned-to-go-on-sp...
There is another scenario which would explain everything from the lack of a cell phone, lack of an itinerary and lack of more information being released. One that doesn't involve being reckless or careless. With that possibility I wont criticize or chastise her but wish her and her family well and lots of healing.
Edit - While I didn't (and don't) believe the lost story. I was prepared to be sympathetic if there were some mental health issues at play. While that is still a remote possibilty, it sure looks like this was all planned for monetary gain.
Yup, over the past few years, there have been so many things that, at least at first, we all tried to dismiss as just unfortunate mental health issues; but, as more and more information came out, we mostly had to face the fact that they'd been planned for monetary gain from the start.
After reading the comments from the family the latest ones the story is getting deeper and deeper and to use the GoFundMe money to pay for hotel rooms rental cars , food etc what did you do have a paid vacation on on the state of Utah this story is got to be the craziest story I've heard I'm glad we have smart investigators in this state that can see through things it's just too bad you took advantage of them do us a favor and don't come back here. Do the right thing and donate the money to the search and rescue of Washington county...
Just curious are we ever going to hear what kind of finds Holly is going to receive and of her in any of her storytellers will be punished for this as in fines and paiy all the money back that they have taken for that fraudulent GoFundMe this is like the talk of the Town and people are fed up we would love to have some answers not to just have the scammers leave town and the whole story be forgotten about hopefully we will get some answers for a peace of mind and maybe let it be a lesson to other people not to do the same thing that they have done also do us a favor and don't come back to our town and national park again scammers