Lakeville, MN — The body of 38-year-old Grant Gardner, a Minnesota man who went missing during a solo mountain climbing trip in Wyoming, has been recovered days after authorities officially ended the search for him.
Gardner, from Lakeville, was last heard from on July 29, when he texted his wife after summiting the 13,000-foot Cloud Peak in Wyoming’s Misty Moon Lake area. He was supposed to return on August 1, but when he failed to arrive at his destination, a search began.
Search Efforts End After 20 Days
Gardner’s disappearance prompted a 20-day search, but on August 6, the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office announced that it had officially called off the search, stating that all resources and personnel had been exhausted.
Sheriff Ken Blackburn confirmed that the team had done everything possible, saying, “The most optimistic survival odds have run out.”
Climbing Team Discovers Gardner’s Body
Gardner’s body was found when a professional climbing team from North Carolina spotted his backpack from a high-altitude camp while descending from Cloud Peak on August 8.
The team, which had summited the peak themselves, noticed a small piece of fabric on the pack while in a ledge area and immediately alerted the sheriff’s office. They then worked with search and rescue (SAR) teams to recover Gardner’s body.
The sheriff’s office expressed their gratitude for the professional climbers, saying in a Facebook post:
“Special thanks to a spectacular professional group of technical climbers who were in exactly the right spot, at the right moment, with the right light, to notice a small piece of fabric on a pack that was otherwise undetectable, for selflessly aborting their plans and working with SAR Teams to find Gardner, providing closure to his familyas per reported by Bring Me The News..”
Final Discovery in Key Search Area
The body was located in one of two primary search areas and closely matched one of the highest-probability scenarios. Police also mentioned that Gardner’s clothing appeared to blend in with the surrounding environment, making it almost impossible to spot without the climbers’ keen observation.
The cause of Gardner’s death has yet to be disclosed, and an investigation is ongoing.
A Tragic End to a Solo Expedition
Gardner, an experienced climber, had set out alone for a three-day trek through the rugged Wyoming mountains. The difficult terrain and extreme conditions made the search particularly challenging, and many feared the worst once the search was officially called off.
Despite the tragic outcome, the discovery of Gardner’s body has brought some closure to his family, who had been anxiously awaiting news.
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