Hiker sent four harrowing words to his wife before his terrifying death

His body was found a week after authorities called off the search, when he had been missing for an entire month – but he was only supposed to be gone for three days

Grant Gardner was an experienced hiker and he was looking forward to his three-day solo adventure, walking and climbing through the Bighorn National Forest.

But what started out as a stunning hike for the married father-of-two ended in a living nightmare for his family when he vanished without trace.

Grant had set off on his three-day hike on July 20, 2025, in Wyoming with the hopes of reaching the peak in Bighorn National Forest. He aimed to take on the hike in the northern part of the state, where he would reach an elevation of over 13,000 feet.

The day he set off was the last time anyone spoke to the 38-year-old and when he didn’t return three-days later it would be more than a month until anyone knew what had happened.

The authorities had to stop their search as his “most optimistic survival odds have run out”, and it wasn’t until a month after his disappearance his body was uncovered.

The last anyone had ever heard from Gardner was when he texted his loving wife around 7pm on July 29. His text told her that he had reached the summit and that the climb had been ‘more taxing than he had expected’ and that he was feeling ‘fatigued’.

Three days later, after not hearing from him since, the sheriff’s office was notified Gardner had not yet returned home, and it was then that the search operation began.

It was no small feat, as the search pulled resources from six counties, including both the Wyoming Army National Guard and the U.S. Forest Service, as well as dog trackers, drones and even private pilots, all searching the area in the hopes of finding Mr Gardner.

Sheriff Ken Blackburn of Big Horn County released a statement on August 5 that explained why the summit Gardner had taken on was “concerning”. This was “due to the lack of visible trails through cliffs, timberline, boulder fields, and other hazards that had to be navigated after dark before reaching clear trails and safe terrain.”

20 days later, and their search was still unsuccessful, forcing the authorities to make the “heartbreaking and difficult decision” to call off the search. The choice was not made lightly, and done so in consultation with his family members, who were still holding onto hope.

The sheriff said on August 20: “In consultation with family members, I have made the heartbreaking and difficult decision to suspend active search and rescue operations for Mr Gardner. Our teams have exhausted all resources and personnel over the last 20 days.

“With weather conditions and other factors updated in our search models, we have to face the reality that the most optimistic survival odds have run out.”

Six days later, members of the professional climbing team from North Carolina descended upon the mountain and saw a backpack hidden beneath a ledge.

The following day, on August 27, Gardner’s body was recovered and transferred to the Big Horn County Coroner’s Office, where his death was investigated.

It was believed that the experienced hiker had “succumbed to a tragic accident” on his solo journey to the summit. While finding his body didn’t serve the outcome they had all hoped for, it certainly provided some peace and closure for his family and his wife, who was left with his parting words.