11 Days After A Hiker Disappeared In The Grand Canyon, Rangers Made A Startling Discovery

It’s December 2019, and Martin Edward O’Connor has apparently vanished off the face of the Earth. The Texan had been staying on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim when he failed to return to his accommodation, and naturally that prompted concerns that the tourist had somehow gotten himself in danger. Then, 11 days after O’Connor was last sighted, rangers were called to one of the most dangerous routes in the area. And when the searchers eventually arrive at the scene, they make a shocking discovery.

Into the Grand Canyon

O’Connor had traveled from the city of La Porte to Arizona, where he had intended to explore the Grand Canyon National Park. And the visitor had found a place to rest his head, having checked into the Yavapai Lodge on December 17. The lodge is the largest guesthouse in the park, and it sits in woods not far from the famous river gorge.

A night of mystery

But while O’Connor seemingly stayed at the Yavapai Lodge for five nights without incident, he didn’t return to his accommodation on December 22. And the tourist would therefore go on to be reported as missing, as the Grand Canyon National Park Service revealed on Facebook on December 30, 2019.

Emergency announcement

An update regarding O’Connor’s disappearance was posted to the Emergency Services & Law Enforcement – Grand Canyon NPS Facebook page on that date. The message read, “The National Park Service (NPS) is conducting a missing person search at Grand Canyon National Park. Martin Edward O’Connor, 58, of La Porte, Texas, was last seen on December 22, 2019, at Yavapai Lodge on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.”

Describing the missing man

Giving more details on the missing man, the post continued, “O’Connor is believed to be traveling alone and stayed at Yavapai Lodge from December 17 to 22. O’Connor is described as a white male, 5 foot and 10 inches in height [and] 145 pounds with blue eyes, and [he] is bald. He is thought to be wearing Carhartt-style work clothing and a blue plaid shirt.”