No, That Wasn’t the Missing Hiker—Montana Body Mix-Up Adds Confusion to Wyoming Search

As search crews continue to comb the rugged Cloud Peak Wilderness in northern Wyoming for missing Minnesota hiker Grant Gardner, misinformation swirling online has made an already emotional situation even harder for his family and rescue teams.

This week, news broke that a body was found in the Bighorn River over in Big Horn County, Montana — and social media was quick to assume it was Gardner. But that wasn’t the case.

The deceased man in Montana turned out to be Alan Shaw, an 82-year-old who went missing after a boating accident. Meanwhile, the search for Gardner, 38, is still very much active in Big Horn County, Wyoming, just across the state line.

“We’re aware of the confusion, and we want to set the record straight,” the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office in Wyoming said Thursday. “The body found in Montana was not Mr. Gardner.”

Gardner, an experienced outdoorsman from Minnesota, was hiking alone in the Cloud Peak Wilderness when he last contacted his wife, Lauren Gardner, around 7 p.m. on July 29. He had just reached the summit of Cloud Peak — the highest point in the Bighorn Range at 13,166 feet — and texted Lauren that the hike had been “more taxing than expected” and that he was tired.

“He said it was straight uphill on boulders,” Lauren told Cowboy State Daily.

That was the last time anyone heard from him.

When he failed to return, authorities launched a full-scale search. His car was found parked at the West Ten Sleep trailhead, where his journey began.

Back home in Minnesota, Lauren is keeping hope alive for her husband’s return while caring for their two children, ages 11 and 13.

“I’m staying by my phone every second,” she said. “They are still hoping 100% to find him. It’s not a recovery operation. It’s still search and rescue.”

She’s grateful for the tireless efforts from rescuers and the support flooding in from around the country.

“I’m very thankful for everyone out there looking for him and supporting us.”

Still, the confusion over the Montana discovery added an extra layer of stress.

“They assured us it wasn’t related,” she said.

Authorities emphasized the importance of getting the facts right, especially when dealing with delicate and ongoing rescue efforts.

“There appears to be some confusion regarding the location of the two missing persons,” the Wyoming sheriff’s office said. “We’re sure the reports were meant to be well-meaning, but they’re inaccurate — and hurtful.”

The sheriff’s office urged the public to verify information before sharing it, especially when it involves ongoing search efforts and families in distress.

The search for Grant Gardner is ongoing. Anyone with credible information or leads is urged to contact the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office in Wyoming.

For now, the hope remains that Gardner — a skilled hiker familiar with the wilderness — is out there, waiting to be found.

With input from Oil City News and Cowboy State Daily.