Date: March 23, 2010
Contact: Robin Martin, 928-638-7684
Grand Canyon, Ariz. – Rangers at Grand Canyon National Park successfully located two overdue hikers this afternoon. National Park Service search and rescue personnel located the hikers, Isaac Rabicoff and Michael Wu, along the Colorado River near Royal Arch, an area of the Grand Canyon west of the South Rim developed area and Hermits Rest.
Isaac Rabicoff and Michael Wu were hiking together and obtained a backcountry permit from the National Park Service to hike in the Royal Arch and South Bass areas beginning on March 16, 2010 and returning on March 20, 2010.
On March 22, 2010 a member of one of the men’s families notified the National Park Service that the two men had failed to return to Kansas as planned. Following the phone call from the family member, the National Park Service began an aerial search, a ground search and an investigation.
The men were located by National Park Service staff aboard the park’s helicopter today, March 23, at approximately 3 pm. Although neither man was injured, both men were transported by the park’s helicopter to the South Rim.
Several factors helped National Park Service search and rescue personnel in finding the missing hikers, including the fact that the hikers obtained the required backcountry permits from the National Park Service and that the hikers informed family members of where they were planning to hike and when they were planning to return.
For questions or additional information please contact Robin Martin, Grand Canyon National Park, at 928-638-7684.
-NPS-
