BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah — A Utah father who went missing overnight with his three children in Big Cottonwood Canyon Saturday is recovering in the hospital, the family confirmed.
According to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, Micah Smith and his children, ages 2, 4, and 8, went hiking in the Broads Fork Trail area on Saturday. The group was reported missing by the family, although officials didn't clarify when the search started.
The search involved the sheriff's office, with the Utah Department of Public Safety's helicopter crew and LifeFlight searching from the air.
The four were found by first responders on Sunday morning, and all four were taken to the hospital.
Smith suffered third-degree frostbite and is in stable condition. His 4-year-old son Ezra is in critical condition, and their family says he is on a heart and lung bypass machine. The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office said Smith’s 8-year-old daughter has been discharged from the hospital, and his 2-year-old son is in stable condition.
The family also issued a statement on Tuesday, saying:
- "The family is grieving and asks for privacy and sensitivity during this profoundly difficult time. We appreciate the outpouring of concern from the community. Our hearts are broken by what has happened, and our focus now is on ensuring that Micah, Samantha, and their children receive the support and love they need to heal. The kids are continuing to recover and your deepest prayers are appreciated... The Smith family wishes to acknowledge with deep appreciation the extraordinary efforts of the Search and Rescue teams, emergency responders, and the medical staff who are treating the family. The family is equally thankful for the community’s expressions of sympathy and support during this difficult time.”
A GoFundMe established by family members says they had taken the trail all the way to Twin Peaks when they got caught in a storm at the summit.
Official U.S. Forest Service maps show the Broads Fork trailhead is at about 6,200 feet above sea level in Big Cottonwood Canyon, and the trail climbs about 5,000 feet to the Twin Peaks summit at over 11,300 feet.
“My kids are 8 and 10, and they couldn’t do that trail,” said Sara John, who lives in Midvale. “That is a very impressive and difficult trail.”
John and Lauren Gayer were hiking together to Lake Blanche on Tuesday. They say they tend to come up the canyons several times a week and even happened to be hiking here on Saturday, too.
“We saw that it was already getting windy; we knew it was going to rain,” John said. “So we actually went across the street just to a shorter hike.”
They’ve seen firsthand that conditions at this time of year can change in an instant.
“It’s important not to go up on the tall peaks — especially later in the day when the storms do roll in, because that’s when danger can definitely happen,” said Gayer, who made the short trip up from Sandy.
The fundraiser had reached nearly $35,000 by Tuesday evening. The goal is $50,000.
John says she’s found herself in situations where she’s been on the trail hours longer than anticipated, and so she hopes for the best for each of them.
“Especially in Utah, people hike so much here,” said John. “Tragedy can occur to any family that does that, so just always be prepared. But our thoughts and prayers definitely go out to them.”
