A 28-year-old Australian hiker, William Standish, who went missing while hiking the Continental Divide Trail in Wyoming, has been found dead. According to authorities, Standish’s body was discovered by rescuers on Wednesday morning in the Wigwams, a series of rocky peaks on the west slope of the Teton mountain range.
Standish had been attempting a thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail between Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks when he disappeared after contacting his family on July 23. His family had stopped receiving updates from him via a Garmin GPS device and Facebook Messenger, leading to a search being mounted by Teton county rescue crews.
Evidence suggests Standish may have fallen from a steep ridgeline that separates Grand Teton and the Jedediah Smith wilderness. He was discovered by a helicopter team after it spotted an orange backpack, and then saw his remains below the ridge. The Teton county coroner’s office said it was likely that Standish suffered a fatal fall.
Standish’s death is the latest in a series of hiking-related fatalities in North America. In Colorado, a 15-year-old boy died after being struck by lightning on Mount Blue Sky, while in Arizona, a 61-year-old man died during a hike on Phoenix’s South Mountain. A 62-year-old man also died in New Hampshire after suffering a medical emergency on the Welch-Dickey trail.
Additionally, two hikers died in Canada’s Banff national park, including a woman in her 20s who fell from a mountain near Marvel Peak, and a 65-year-old man who fell from Mount Temple. The Teton county search and rescue team expressed its condolences to Standish’s family and friends, and thanked federal agencies for their assistance in the search efforts.
Standish had been following a popular thru-hike route, starting in Canada and passing through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. His death serves as a reminder of the risks and dangers associated with long-distance hiking in remote areas.
