Search for California woman missing two weeks cost Utah park $60,000

SALT LAKE CITY — A search for a California woman who was missing for two weeks last fall before being found alive at Zion National Park in Utah cost about $60,000, park officials said Thursday.

The estimate was provided by park officials who also released investigative reports revealing that the search was about to be scaled back the morning that Holly Suzanne Courtier of Los Angeles was found in a hammock near a trail thanks to a tip from someone who saw her there, the report said.

Heavily redacted reports don’t say what happened to Courtier or why it was so difficult to find her in a park that is relatively small compared with other sprawling national parks.

After park rangers found Courtier on Oct. 18, she walked about 1,000 feet to a road and was taken to a park building where she agreed to be interviewed by rangers.

What she told them, however, is redacted in the report.

“In this case, the harm to personal privacy is greater than whatever public interest may be served by disclosure and would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy,” Zion officials said in a statement.

Her family and park officials had feared the worst. The park is known for its towering red rock cliffs and hikes that take people along narrow trails with steep drops.

Crews began searching for Courtier when she didn’t show up for her scheduled pickup in the park by a private shuttle on Oct. 6, authorities said. The daily searches included dozens of rangers, dogs, drones and helicopters.

The costs of the search included thousands of dollars spent on supplies such as GPS devices and thermal monoculars. It also includes thousands of dollars spent on food and snacks for search teams, the report shows.

The National Park Service doesn’t charge visitors for the cost of search and rescue efforts, which are done to keep visitors safe, said park spokeswoman Amanda Rowland.