California mom found safe 12 days after vanishing in national park
Search crews found California resident Holly Suzanne Courtier safe on Sunday almost two weeks after she went missing in a national park, CBS Los Angeles reported. The 38-year-old Woodland Hills, California, woman had last been seen in Utah's Zion National Park on October 6.
Courtier is recovering from a head injury and from going days without food, her daughter, Kailey Chambers, said Monday. Chambers said her mother is weak, but working on hydrating, recovering and getting her strength back. Chambers said her mother's recovery is now her top priority.
"Early in her trip into Zion, she injured her head on a tree. She was very disoriented as a result and thankfully ended up near a water source — a river bed," Chambers said in a statement. "She thought her best chance of survival was to stay next to a water source."
"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 earlier. "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," they added.
At the time of Courtier's disappearance, her daughter told CBS Los Angeles that she was an avid hiker. She had recently lost her job as a nanny due to the coronavirus pandemic and was traveling around in her converted camper van visiting national parks.
Neighbors in Woodland Hills told CBS LA that they were shocked to hear what had happened and glad that Courtier was back with her family and friends.
The huge rescue effort involved park rangers, the Washington County Sheriff's Office, K9 units and a drone operator. Family members also joined the search effort.
Authorities said Courtier was located following a credible tip from a park visitor and she was reunited with her family.
Chambers said her mother is an experienced hiker, had hiked alone before, and was familiar with Zion National Park. She said she and her mother visited the park together just a few weeks before she became lost.
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