Missing Ohio teen, found safe, had changed her appearance

MOOSE, Wyo. — Searchers located an Ohio teen who went missing in Grand Teton National Park on Saturday and tracked her down after she fled when authorities tried to rescue her.

Fauna Jackson, 16, was uninjured and taken to a hospital to be checked out. The National Park Service said Jackson changed her appearance by cutting and dying her hair. She also changed her clothes.

The girl, who is from Cincinnati, Ohio, was found near the Snake River Overlook about 4 miles from where she was last seen on Thursday morning. Jackson is a member of Groundwork CincinnatiMill Creek, an affiliate of Groundwork USA, and was working with about 20 other people on a trail project in the national park when she took a bathroom break but didn’t return.

Rangers searched the area, and when they couldn’t find her, they called in search crews, a helicopter, dog search teams and other authorities. More than 100 people took part in the two-day search that resumed early Saturday. Robin Corathers, executive director of Groundwork Cincinnati, said Jackson was excited about going to Wyoming to work on the project and there were no indications of any problems.

“She did great work. She loved working outside, and demonstrated leadership potential. This was unexpected and there was no warning,” she said.

Denise Germann, spokeswoman for Grand Teton National Park, said investigators are trying to determine what happened, and the Teton County Sheriff’s Office is handling the case.