A 35-year-old hiker from New Jersey has been missing for over a week after embarking on a difficult trail in the Grand Canyon, where a vast wildfire continues to rage. Thomas Daniel Gibbs, of Freehold, was last heard from on 22 July around midday, believed to be hiking the Grandview Trail and Horseshoe Mesa.
Concerned family and friends reported him missing on 28 July, prompting a search by the National Park Service. That same day, officials located his Tesla Cybertruck in the Grandview Point parking lot on the South Rim. Gibbs is described as a white male, 6 feet 1 inch tall, with brown hair and eyes.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Bravo megafire has been burning across the Grand Canyon for over a month, scorching 123,434 acres and only 13 per cent contained. The fire, ignited by lightning and fuelled by strong winds, low humidity, and high temperatures, has destroyed at least 80 structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim. The Kaibab Lodge is also threatened.
The Grandview Trail is described by park officials as “a rocky, exposed, strenuous trail” suited only for experienced desert hikers, with no drinking water available. The park stated that ground searchers, drones, and search dogs have extensively combed the area, but no evidence of Gibbs has been found. Search efforts have been scaled back due to a lack of clues, though investigations continue.
Park rangers urge anyone who was in the Grandview Trail area around 22 July and may have seen Gibbs or have information to contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009 or submit tips online at www.nps.gov/ISB.
