The Park Service released their report - heavily redacted. Courtier's daughter Kailey,in an interview with CNN,said she traveled to Zion to try to find her mother. Darrell Cashin of the Washington County Sheriff's Office gave a statement to ABC 4 questioning how Courtier could have survived the nearly two weeks without clean drinking water, a statement whicha sheriff's office public information officersaid later was just a perspective from an "expert witness and not in an official investigating capacity. They scoured Emerald Pools, Lady Mountain and West Rim places reachable from the Grotto trailhead and other spots but failed to find her. A sheriff's sergeant in Utah has expressed doubts over the story of a female 'Zion hiker', who claimed to have survived for 12 days without food and water after getting lost. There are two reports from October 18, when she was rescued, but neither werein the area she was found nor detail how she was found. Season 3 "The Mummy". Holly Courtier disappearance - update : thepapinis - Reddit Courtier was described as 5 foot 3 inches with brown hair and blue eyes. What follows is over 30 pages of nearly completely redacted text messages, with no indicationwho the sender or receiver is. The controversial disappearance and discovery of Holly nytimes.com Hiker Is Rescued in Zion National Park After Nearly Two Weeks Missing Holly Suzanne Courtier, 38, went missing on Oct. 6 after getting off a shuttle bus at the park in Utah. Holly Courtier, missing for 2 weeks, found safe in national park She was in over her head and had no way to get out.. Holly Suzanne Courtier, the California (Rick Bowmer | AP file photo) This Sept. 15, 2015, file photo, shows Zion National Park near Springdale. According to multiple reports and family statements, Courtier did not tell her family that she was traveling to Zion. Kailey Chambers, Courtiers daughter, previously said her mother told her she was so dehydrated she couldnt open her mouth., Earlier this week, Chambers said foods were slowly being introduced back into Courtiers diet, adding, My moms recovery is my top priority right now.. As KSL reports, the Washington County Sheriffs Office announced in a news release earlier this week that it would be opening an investigation in response to numerous tips indicating the incident was possibly conceived and carried out as part of a plan to fraudulently generate money to a GoFundMe account for Courtiers recovery., The GoFundMe campaign launched on October 15 by one of Courtiers sisters raised nearly $12,000 before it closed to new donations. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Both Cashin and Fitzgerald stated they believed she might be dead or jumped, and discussed searching with cadaver dogs. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Her sister said "Once she hit her head, she did not have the energy to walk out. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile (590 km2) park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles (24 km) long and up to 2,640 ft (800 m) deep. Three days before she was found in the Emerald Pools area, crews search the trails there and found nothing. Additionally, we have determined that the disclosure of this information would shed little or no light on the performance of the agencys statutory duties.. Did you encounter any technical issues? As Holly Courtier's family raised $12,000 for her on a GoFundMe account, she was suddenly found in the park over the weekend, 12 days after disappearing on a solo trip. Her family said Courtier suffered a concussion while setting up her hammock along the river, becoming so disoriented she couldnt call for help or take more than a few steps without collapsing. A Zion official told ABC4 News that Courtier was able to leave the park with her family with minimal assistance. The description of the areas searched and NOTHING found suggest strongly that she moved her "makeshift camp" around to different areas whenever she was seen so as to stay hidden. Her family said she had no phone with her, and did not tell anyone of her hiking plans. Courtier had a Sharpie with her, her sister says, and would mark how many days had passed on a tree nearby. If shes by the Virgin River, shes down in the valley, not in the backcountry up in the plateaus and the peaks, Cashin said. Without any water, she would have died within two to three days, he says. While most of the documents were heavily redacted, the National Park Service claiming privacy exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act, some information can be gleaned. The latest on the Holly Courtier disappearance in Zion Officials find no fraud in missing Zion hiker investigation Holly Suzanne Courtier, 38, is a mother who went missing in a national park in Utah for twelve days. In a statement given by one of the rescuing rangers, they said they saw Courtier in the hammock who looked at them and identified herself by name after she was asked. The statement, however, sparked an online frenzy toward the family, especially Kailey Chambers, Courtier's daughter. Since her rescue, the circumstances of her disappearance have come under heavy scrutiny as park and law enforcement officials have raised questions about how she was able to survive on her own for nearly two weeks. investigators were able to trace Courtier to Zion National Park through her use of a credit card to purchase a private shuttle ticket. In response to Cashins statements, the Courtier familyclarified Holly did not drink the river waterdue to the toxicity levels. Read previous coverage: A woman went missing for 12 days in Zion National Park. This is someone who looked at some paperwork and looked at things on paper. It appears that investigators were able to trace Courtier to Zion National Park through her use of a credit card to purchase a private shuttle ticket. If we had found somebody in that condition with that kind of severe head injury, we would have at minimum called for a transport agency to check her out, Cashin said. pack, hammock, warm weather clothing, why was it reported she was only going into the park for the day? Holly Courtier planned to go on spiritual journey, fast inside Zion National Park, family says. The teen son of a wealthy businessman is arrested weeks after a fatal cash in West Los Angeles. If you are working a missing person case its important not to over look cell phone forensics and deleted data recovery. Scan this QR code to download the app now, https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2021/03/11/holly-courtier-rescue-zion-national-park-investigation-results/4648525001/. Courtiers family expressed their gratitude in a statement, We would like to thank the rangers and search teams who relentlessly looked for her day and night and never gave up hope. However, I dont think it wouldve been an ethical use of taxpayer money for us to actually investigate it. The post-rescue interviewwith Courtier and follow-up investigation was entirely redacted. She had been using a van as a home. Holly Courtier Found Alive: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Her levels of her kidney function were very bad. A subreddit dedicated to discussion of the mysterious case of Sherri Papini. The canyon walls are reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone eroded by the North Fork of the Virgin River. Certain aspects of the case seem peculiar, even though her family denies any wrongdoing. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It seems suspicious that in a well-hiked area with a lot of visitors she could not have raised help, especially as her head injury was from a branch knock, not a fall. Some members of search and rescue were certainly puzzled. The redactions appear to go far beyond protecting privacy. Sgt. Holly Courtier, 38, was reported missing Oct. 6 and found safe Oct. 18. She was praying to be found, and we were all praying to find her. Second:New information on Holly Courtier's Zion search and rescue, plus messages from officials The highly anticipated investigation regarding the October 2020 Visitors to the park were not able to drive in and you have to take a shuttle bus in and out, so the bus was the only way she could leave, without hiking out. Holly had been traveling the country visiting national parks since losing her job as a nanny because of the coronavirus pandemic. As CrimeOnline previously reported, Courtiers roommate reported her missing on October 8. Behind the scenes: How I reported on Holly Courtier and answers to your questions. For instance, the map indicating where Courtier was found is blacked out. The Washington County Sheriffs office has opened an investigation into the 12-day disappearance of Holly Suzanne Courtier in Zion National Park. The fact that that didn't happen tells me that they did not find any significant injury to her that would've prompted them to do that.". Courtiers story is not an isolated incident by any means. Cashin said his crews provided some K-9 assets and several of their highly trained investigators reviewed the parks entire search and rescue efforts, including maps, credible tips, and surveillance footage from nearby businesses. Officials have yet to disclose exactly where Courtier was found, but the general area is close to the main park road and heavily used hiking trails. I think she bit off more than she could chew. In December, The Spectrum obtained the correspondence between Sgt. They talked to visitors, and no one had seen anything. Once she hit her head, she did not have the energy to walk out, Strong said. Search for Holly Courtier in Zion still remains shrouded in Holly She is mum to Kailey Chambers, 19, who travelled to the area to help find her mum. A lot of the info was redacted, obviously to avoid getting sued by Holly for revealing private info. Also - there appear to be a couple sightings of Holly camping or sleeping in a relatively populated area - which came from reports of other Zion visitors after the search was underway. We are also so grateful to the countless volunteers who were generous with their time, resources, and support.. Maps included chronicle the movement of the search and rescue team throughout the 12-day search. Zion, located in Utah, is one of the most visited parks in the country,according to the National Parks Service. The sheriffs office said in the news release that investigators had not at that time found any evidence to support the theory that the incident was committed intentionally as an effort to achieve financial gain. A request for further comment was not immediately returned. Holly Courtiers disappearance and recovery 12 days later, on Oct. 18, near the Virgin River, drew national media attention and lots of questions about her case. Courtier has yet to speak publicly about what happened during her disappearance and how she survived for 12 days in the rugged wilderness without supplies. Park rangers were able to locate her after they received a credible tip from a park visitor that they had seen Courtier within the park. While the circumstances of her disappearance still remain murky, her family is overjoyed to have her back. In the correspondence, Zion's Deputy Chief Ranger Andrew Fitzgerald said he "loved" Cashin's statements. In other cases, your loved one may have been the victim of kidnapping, abduction, or, in the worst case, murder. Courtiers family may have had to settle for an educated guess by law enforcement that she was attacked by a wild animal. Were fact-finders.. Anyone wanting to ride the shuttle MUST pre-purchase a pass and the "waiting list" is long so you have to buy them days - even weeks in advance. and it's been this way all summer long. Crazy," Fitzgerald said. Drones and helicoptersflew throughout the park but didn't catch anything. He wasn't there.". [Redacted] was transported by Park Rangers to the Zion Emergency Operations Center to [redacted]who had already been notified that [redacted] had been found," the report said. Zion National Parks Acting Chief of Interpretation Amanda Rowland told Fox News that Courtier was able to leave of her own capability with minimal assistance following her rescue. Despite being close to a river, Courtier couldnt drink the water, her sister said, because of toxicity concerns. By the time rescuers found her, Courtier had lost 18 pounds and had bruises all over her body, her family said. Chambers said: "This was her dream, to see national parks. Where would she have been able to get a ticket on such short notice? One document references an investigative report and a taped interview with Courtier, but those were not among the materials released Thursday. subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. On October 6, Holly was dropped off at the Zion national park by a private shuttle. As I made my way closer to the object, the area opened up and I could clearly see a hammock and a [redacted word] laying in the hammock.. An official placed an orange "overdue" sticker on the car, but a day later it was missing. Her sister said, she was so dehydrated "she couldn't open her mouth. The RENPHO Foot Massager Machine may be just the gift to make Mothers Day extra special for your mom this year. The searchers were assigned certain areas to check, according to the unredacted portion of the narrative written by the person who found Courtier. "She made that a positive thing -- said that gave her the time to get out, see the parks.". Now, the park has releasedthe investigation into the disappearance and rescue. The park service stated that the deletions were all justified by the need to protect the privacy of all involved. is approximately 210,000 every year. After Washington County Sheriffs Search and Rescue Sgt. Whatever the case for your loved ones disappearance, a private investigator can be extremely helpful in finding and bringing back your loved one. Holly The area where Holly was found appears to be close to the Virgin River and the Grotto Picnic/Parking area, close to a road (Zion Canyon Scenic Drive). 2023 Cable News Network. She was praying to be found, and we were all praying to find her.. They spotted the hammock, so that was the call that was made to the Rangers., The National Park Service said search and rescue teams found Courtier on Sunday after receiving a credible tip from a park visitor that they had seen Courtier within the park. A park spokeswoman said authorities found Courtier in a thickly vegetated area along the Virgin River..