A MISSING mom was found and reunited with her family almost two weeks after she vanished in Zion National Park.
Holly Suzanne Courtier, 38, was found by search and rescue crews after she was spotted by another park visitor who sent a tip to park rangers, the National Parks Service said in a press release.
Before her disappearance, Courtier — described as an experienced hiker — was on a road trip to visit national parks after she lost her job as a nanny because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“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.
The family continued: “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.”
Courtier, who went missing on October 6, was dropped off at the park by a private shuttle but did not return for her scheduled pick-up later that day.
Rescuers searched for her with drones and K-9 units – but no further details have been released on her condition or where she was found.
In an update to a GoFundMe, started before she was found, Courtier’s sister Jaime Strong wrote that she “will need medical care in the days moving forward.”
The family is opting to keep the fundraiser open to pay for her medical bills as she has no health insurance, Strong wrote.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone’s continued support and prayers! Details on her rescue are limited right now and we will update you when we have all the information,” Strong wrote.
Courtier’s daughter Kailey Chambers, in an interview with CNN, said she traveled to Zion to try to find her mother.
This was her dream, to see national parks,” Chambers told the outlet.
She continued: “She lost her job as a nanny due to Covid-19. The family could not afford to keep paying her. She made that a positive thing — said that gave her the time to get out, see the parks.”
Zion, located in Utah, is one of the most visited parks in the country, according to the National Parks Service.
So far there have been 2,484,815 visitors at the park this year – with a staggering 520,987 visitors reports just in September.
source:https://www.the-sun.com/