Latest news with #ThomasDanielGibbs
New York Post
6 days ago
- New York Post
NJ hiker missing for more than a week in Arizona national park where ‘mega-fire' is raging
A New Jersey hiker has been missing for more than a week in Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park where a raging 'mega-fire' has exploded to more than 123,000 acres. Thomas Daniel Gibbs, 35, last spoke with friends and family around noon on July 22 and was officially reported missing six days later — the same day his Tesla Cybertruck was discovered abandoned at a parking lot at popular vista Grandview Point, according to the National Park Service. The Freehold native was believed to have embarked on a hike on the arduous Grandview Trail and Horseshore Mesa the day he was last heard from. Advertisement 4 Freehold, NJ native Thomas Daniel Gibbs has not been heard from since July 22. National Park Service First responders launched an extensive search around Grandview Trail, with ground teams and search dogs as well as drones, NPS officials told Fox News. As they searched, the Dragon Bravo megafire was torching more than 123,434 acres along the canyon's northern rim and was only 13% contained as of Tuesday, according to the latest update. Advertisement Some 70 structures have been destroyed by the lightning-caused blaze, which has shut down the Grand Canyon's northern rim for the remainder of the season due to widespread damage, NPS officials said. 4 This handout photo provided by the Southwest Area Incident Managemment Team shows a helicopter fighting the Dragon Bravo fire on the North Rim. Southwest Area Incident Management Team/AFP via Getty Images Even so, the wildfire 'did not hinder search efforts' for Gibbs, according to officials who said they managed 'a thorough search of the area despite challenging conditions.' 4 Smoke and a pyrocumulus cloud rises at sunset from the Dragon Bravo fire at the Grand Canyon as seen from Mather Point near Grand Canyon Village. AP Advertisement 'Responders from Grand Canyon National Park, along with Coconino County Search and Rescue, worked collaboratively to ensure a thorough search of the area despite challenging conditions.' NPS said they've discovered 'no evidence' of Gibbs' whereabouts. They began to scale back the search over the weekend 'due to the lack of further clues or evidence to suggest Mr. Gibbs was in the greater Grandview Trail area.' The fire has been burning since July 4, fueled by hot, dry conditions and strong winds. The U.S. Forest Service declared a 'mega-fire' on July 31 when the fire surpassed 100,000 acres in size. Advertisement 4 Grandview Trail can be a difficult hike, officials said. NPS/Joel Kane It is the largest fire burning in the continental US and one of the top 10 largest in Arizona's recorded history, according to Fox News. Driving around it would take you on a route as far as driving from New York City to Washington DC.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fears for hiker missing for over a week after traveling along difficult Grand Canyon trail
A New Jersey hiker has been missing for over a week after he headed out on a difficult trail in the Grand Canyon – where 123,000 acres are currently ablaze. Thomas Daniel Gibbs, 35, of Freehold, NJ, was last heard from on July 22 at around noon after he was believed to have been hiking in the Grandview Trail and Horseshoe Mesa that day. Concerned family and friends raised the alarm on his silence six days later and reported him missing, the National Park Service said. Officials found his Tesla Cybertruck the same day in the Grandview Point parking lot on the South Rim. He is described as a white male of 6ft 1 inches in height, with brown hair and eyes. Meanwhile, the Dragon Bravo megafire has been raging across the Grand Canyon for over a month, singeing 123,434 acres, and has only been contained to 13 percent. At least 80 structures have been destroyed, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge inside the park at the North Rim, after it was first reported on July 9. The Kaibab Lodge is also in jeopardy, reports 13 News. It swelled in size at the end of July, burning over 105,000 acres and subsequently becoming a megafire. Lightning strikes are believed to have ignited the fires, while a combination of strong winds, low humidity, and high daily temperatures spiralled their rapid expansion, officials said. The Grandview Trail is described as 'a rocky, exposed, strenuous trail' that requires hiking experience and caution, say park officials. Only experienced desert hikers are advised to take on the trail, and should come readily prepared with a detailed plan as there is no drinking water on the path. The most treacherous parts of the hike include the Bright Angel, South Kaibab, and Hermit Trails. In a statement to Fox News Sunday, the Grand Canyon National Park said that search efforts were still ongoing. 'Ground searchers extensively searched the Grandview Trail and its side drainages over the last two days. In addition, drones and search dogs from Coconino County Search and Rescue were utilized, along with high-angle technical rescue efforts near Grandview Point," the park said. 'The ongoing Dragon Bravo Fire did not hinder search efforts. Responders from Grand Canyon National Park, along with Coconino County Search and Rescue, worked collaboratively to ensure a thorough search of the area despite challenging conditions." Grand Canyon officials said that no evidence of Gibbs had been found to date and that search efforts had been scaled back in recent days because of a lack of clues and evidence to suggest he was in the greater Grandview Trail area. 'Investigations remain ongoing, and if additional clues or evidence are discovered, our search and rescue team will promptly follow up with search efforts in the field," they added. Park rangers are urging anyone who was also in the Grandview Trail area around July 22 and may have seen Gibbs or has information on his whereabouts to contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009. Tips can also be submitted online at or via email at nps_isb@
The Independent
6 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Fears for hiker missing for over a week after traveling along difficult Grand Canyon trail
A New Jersey hiker has been missing for over a week after he headed out on a difficult trail in the Grand Canyon – where 123,000 acres are currently ablaze. Thomas Daniel Gibbs, 35, of Freehold, NJ, was last heard from on July 22 at around noon after he was believed to have been hiking in the Grandview Trail and Horseshoe Mesa that day. Concerned family and friends raised the alarm on his silence six days later and reported him missing, the National Park Service said. Officials found his Tesla Cybertruck the same day in the Grandview Point parking lot on the South Rim. He is described as a white male of 6ft 1 inches in height, with brown hair and eyes. Meanwhile, the Dragon Bravo megafire has been raging across the Grand Canyon for over a month, singeing 123,434 acres, and has only been contained to 13 percent. At least 80 structures have been destroyed, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge inside the park at the North Rim, after it was first reported on July 9. The Kaibab Lodge is also in jeopardy, reports 13 News. It swelled in size at the end of July, burning over 105,000 acres and subsequently becoming a megafire. Lightning strikes are believed to have ignited the fires, while a combination of strong winds, low humidity, and high daily temperatures spiralled their rapid expansion, officials said. The Grandview Trail is described as 'a rocky, exposed, strenuous trail' that requires hiking experience and caution, say park officials. Only experienced desert hikers are advised to take on the trail, and should come readily prepared with a detailed plan as there is no drinking water on the path. The most treacherous parts of the hike include the Bright Angel, South Kaibab, and Hermit Trails. In a statement to Fox News Sunday, the Grand Canyon National Park said that search efforts were still ongoing. 'Ground searchers extensively searched the Grandview Trail and its side drainages over the last two days. In addition, drones and search dogs from Coconino County Search and Rescue were utilized, along with high-angle technical rescue efforts near Grandview Point," the park said. 'The ongoing Dragon Bravo Fire did not hinder search efforts. Responders from Grand Canyon National Park, along with Coconino County Search and Rescue, worked collaboratively to ensure a thorough search of the area despite challenging conditions." Grand Canyon officials said that no evidence of Gibbs had been found to date and that search efforts had been scaled back in recent days because of a lack of clues and evidence to suggest he was in the greater Grandview Trail area. 'Investigations remain ongoing, and if additional clues or evidence are discovered, our search and rescue team will promptly follow up with search efforts in the field," they added. Park rangers are urging anyone who was also in the Grandview Trail area around July 22 and may have seen Gibbs or has information on his whereabouts to contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009. Tips can also be submitted online at or via email at nps_isb@
04-08-2025
New Jersey man missing for over 1 week in Grand Canyon: National Park Service
A man has been missing for over a week after reportedly hiking along one of the most challenging trails in the Grand Canyon, according to the National Park Service. Thomas Daniel Gibbs, 35, from Freehold, New Jersey, was reported missing on July 28 by his family and friends, according to a press release shared by the National Park Service. Gibbs was last heard from on July 22 and is believed to have been traveling along the Grandview Trail, which is one of the most difficult paths in the Grand Canyon, according to the National Park Service. The hiker's Tesla Cybertruck was discovered in the Grandview Point parking lot on the South Rim of the canyon the same day he was reported missing, officials said. Gibbs is described as 6 feet, 1 inch tall with brown hair and brown eyes, officials said. Officials said anyone who was "in the Grandview Trail around July 22 and who may have seen Gibbs or has information on his whereabouts" should contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch Tip line at 888-653-0009. Tips can also be submitted online or via email at nps_isb@ Updates regarding the search for Gibbs will be provided "as soon as they become available," officials said. Gibbs' disappearance comes as a fire continues to burn along the canyon's North Rim. The Dragon Bravo Fire has now burned over 116,000 acres and is 12% contained as of Sunday, officials said.
Fox News
03-08-2025
- Fox News
New Jersey man missing in Grand Canyon 'mega-fire' as search efforts continue week later
A New Jersey man has been missing for about a week as a "mega-fire" ravages the Grand Canyon National Park. Thomas Daniel Gibbs, 35, of Freehold, New Jersey, was last heard from by his friends and family at approximately 12 p.m. on July 22, the National Park Service said in a press release. His friends and family reported him missing on July 28. The U.S. Forest Service declared a "mega-fire" on July 31 when the Dragon Bravo Fire – burning along the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park – surpassed 100,000 acres in size. It was considered the largest fire burning in the continental U.S. and one of the top 10 largest in recorded Arizona history. Getting around it would be roughly like driving from New York City to Washington, D.C. According to the National Park Service, Gibbs – described as a White male standing six-foot-one-inches tall – is believed to have been in the Grandview Trail and Horseshoe Mesa area on July 22. He is further described as having brown hair and brown eyes, with no known tattoos. "Park rangers are asking anyone who was in the Grandview Trail around July 22 and who may have seen Gibbs or has information on his whereabouts to contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009. Tips can also be submitted online at or via email at nps_isb@ the press release said. Gibbs remained missing as of Friday and search efforts were centered on a high-angle terrain near Grandview Point, USA Today reported, citing a statement from Grand Canyon National Park. Fox News Digital reached out to Grand Canyon National Park and the National Park Service on Sunday but did not immediately hear back. According to the National Park Service, a lightning strike ignited the Dragon Bravo Fire on July 4 and prompted a "confine and contain strategy," but high wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour on July 12 caused a rapid 500-acre spread overnight. On July 30, containment dropped to just 4% amid strong winds and dry conditions. Officials said the Dragon Fire Bravo in Arizona – coupled with another fire burning in Monroe, Utah – were so hot that they were spurring the formation of "fire clouds" that can create their own erratic weather systems. Towering convection clouds known as pyrocumulus clouds had been spotted over Arizona's blaze for at least seven consecutive days, fueling the fire with dry, powerful winds, fire information officer Lisa Jennings told the Associated Press last week. They form when air over the fire becomes superheated and rises in a large smoke column. The giant billowing clouds can be seen for hundreds of miles and can resemble an anvil. Their more treacherous big brother, a fire-fueled thunderstorm known as the pyrocumulonimbus cloud, sent rapid winds shooting in all directions this week as a smoke column formed from the Utah fire then collapsed on itself, fire team information officer Jess Clark said. "If they get high enough, they can also create downdrafts, and that's something we really watch out for because that can quickly spread the fire and can be very dangerous for firefighters who are doing their work on the ground," Jennings told the AP. The National Park Service website says that the North Rim is closed for the remainder of the 2025 season "because of damage and losses caused by the Dragon Bravo Wildfire." The Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed approximately 70 structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, the North Rim Visitor Center, and many guest cabins, according to the agency. "The park is currently focused on emergency stabilization to protect remaining infrastructure and natural resources. Planning is underway for the recovery and rebuilding of visitor facilities, including the Grand Canyon Lodge, although this process will take time," the website says. "While the South Rim remains open and continues to welcome visitors, there is currently no access to the North Rim or to North Rim facilities. We understand the importance of the North Rim to our visitors, employees, and partners, and we are committed to keeping the public informed as plans for recovery progress."
