Grand Canyon: Body Of Missing Backpacker Found

Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
Body Of Missing Backpacker Found

The search for missing backpacker Bryce Gillies, 20, came to a conclusion on Saturday morning with the discovery of a body believed to be his in the Bonita Creek drainage on the North Rim. On Tuesday, July 21st, the park was notified that one or more hikers were overdue from a backpacking trip in Grand Canyon. Gillies’ car was soon found at the Bill Hall trailhead on the North Rim, and investigators determined that only one person had gone on the backpacking trip. With no backcountry permit to work from and no knowledge of Gillies’ specific plans, searchers began covering a large area from the Deer Creek drainage across Surprise Valley to the Tapeats Creek drainage and down to the river. On Saturday, they narrowed their search to the Bonita Creek drainage and surrounding area based on the discovery of personal items, including a backpack, in that vicinity. At approximately 9:30 a.m., a search team, moving up Bonita Creek from its confluence with the Colorado River, found a body at the top of a 100-foot pour-off. The body was located less than a half mile from the river confluence. This multi-day search involved approximately 50 NPS personnel and volunteers from Grand Canyon National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Zion National Park.