Holly Courtier, 38, was found alive after being missing for nearly two weeks in Zion National Park. (PHOTO: National Park Service)
WOODLAND HILLS, California — The family of the hiker who went missing in Zion National Park said she has checked herself into a mental wellness center and is getting help.
Jaime Strong said her sister Holly Courtier,38, was in the park on a fasting trip, and had not eaten for a couple of days before going to Zion.
Strong said her sister didn’t eat or drink until being found 12 days later in some brush by a river. She also said Courtier she lost between 15 and 18 pounds while she was missing in Zion
Strong told the Today Show it was a miracle her sister survived.
“I think God got her through this,” Strong said. “I think it’s a miracle. I truly believe there is no reason she should be alive. It doesn’t make sense. She didn’t have the proper gear, and she didn’t have food or water.”
She said her sister did not have her phone with her, because she wanted to disconnect. She became disoriented and marked the days on a tree branch with a sharpie.
The family’s GoFundMe page says Courtier is now getting some help.
“Holly has suffered from mental health issues in the past and went on her hike not in the best frame of mind. She did not intend to become injured or so weak on her journey. Nor, did she intend for her trip to become a search and rescue effort. If Holly was not found when she was, she would have died,” says the update.
They say they are raising money to pay for her medical care and reimburse their own search costs.