Cody man still missing in Grand Canyon National Park

After more than a week of searching, authorities have yet to find any sign of a 22-year-old Cody man who's gone missing in the Grand Canyon. The search for Morgan Heimer was scaled back on Monday after six days of intense looking.

Heimer, a river rafting guide with the company Tour West, had been helping lead an eight-day tour through the canyon when he disappeared. He was last seen around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, near an spot known as Pumpkin Springs along the Colorado River.

Morgan Heimer

A group of about 15 to 20 people on the trip, including Heimer, had hiked from the river to a nearby swimming hole, said Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman Emily Davis. One of the people in the group realized Heimer was missing after they returned to camp, Davis said.

National Park Service personnel immediately began searching the area. They took to the air in a helicopter and an airplane and fanned out on foot and on the water over the following days, Davis said. They reported combing over roughly 14 miles of the Colorado River and four miles of land adjacent to the Pumpkin Spring area.


On Monday, Grand Canyon National Park officials announced they were cutting back the search.

“With no additional clues to guide search efforts on land or water, the search will be scaled back to a continuous, but limited mode in which rangers and pilots will continue to search for clues when in the area,” the park said in a news release.

Flyers with Heimer's photo and description remain posted at various points along the Grand Canyon's South Rim and all trips headed down the river are being briefed on the search effort, the release said.

Nothing had changed as of mid-day Wednesday, Davis said.

Heimer is described as 6 feet tall with blond hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a dark-colored Astral personal flotation device, a blue plaid long-sleeve shirt, a pair of Chaco flip-flop sandals, a maroon baseball cap, and brightly colored shorts. Heimer was also carrying a purple water bottle.

Grand Canyon National Park officials described the terrain where Heimer went missing as difficult, with boulders and thick stands of tamarisk, plus deep water with a strong current.

Anyone with information about Heimer's location is asked to call the National Park Service Tip Line at 928-638-7840.

Search and Rescue