Overview

• Authorities confirmed Aug. 28 that the Minnesota hiker was found deceased in the Cloud Peak Wilderness nearly a month after he went missing.
• A professional team from North Carolina reported a reflective glint they believed was a backpack on Aug. 26 and waited for search teams to arrive at daylight.
• SAR teams located Gardner’s remains near the pack in one of two primary search areas during a difficult, dangerous recovery ahead of worsening weather.
• Officials noted the area had been covered by air and other methods previously and said Gardner’s clothing closely matched the terrain, complicating detection.
• Search operations had been suspended Aug. 21 after extensive efforts and fading survival odds; phone records showed he reached the summit around 7 p.m., raising concerns about a hazardous descent after dark.