[Bootpathguy]

Google... "Holly Courtier" Regardless, I'm sending $500 to her go-fund- me https://disrn.com/news/woman-found-in-zion-natl-park-had-sustained-a-head-injury-was-rescued-from-thickly-vegetated-area https://www.abc4.com/news/southern-utah/sheriffs-sgt-raises-questions-in-zions-missing-person-case-of-holly-courtier/ Make it $5,000

[moonspots]

[fourteen410]

Yeah, something smelled off about this one.

[Slugman]

When I read that they “got a tip” on where she was, then she walked out with minimal assistance after 12 days, I knew this was not a lost hiker story. Then the family’s strange account just confirmed it. Now finding out that there really was no water makes their story impossible. We may never know, but a personal crisis of some sort seems most likely.

[Sculpin]

Sgt. Darrell Cashin, the guy who cast doubt on the story, said: "'If she had been drinking that [Virgin River] water, unless she had some really high immune system, she would’ve been very, very ill and probably unable to come out on her own,' Cashin says. 'She either took a lot of water with her or had another clean water source that was near here, but the Virgin River is not that source.'" The article also stated that "Cashin says it’s a 'high possibility' Courtier would have died if she was drinking the river water for 12 days." This is absolutely nuts. Totally batshit nuts. The guy has no idea what he is talking about, and this kind of stupid stuff has consequences when we see people become severely dehydrated when they are afraid of water. It typically takes a week or so to get sick from water-borne pathogens. My assessment is that there would be a good chance she would not be sick at all after drinking the river water for 12 days. But it is also possible she would have been somewhat dehydrated and be suffering from diarrhea. But dead from the water? Not a chance. All that being said, the story is indeed suspicious. I do agree that it is unlikely that she was on the Virgin River and not found for 12 days if she wanted to be found.

[JonnyQuest]

[neek]

[Slugman]

“The cyanobacteria from a toxic algal bloom detected in early July in the north fork of the Virgin River remains dangerously high, prompting park officials to recommend that visitors avoid all contact in the river until further notice.” So, don’t even touch the water.

[slabbyd]

She was "found" within 1/2 mile of the Grotto shuttle stop. This would be like loosing your child in a busy Safeway, combing the store for twelve days, then realizing they've been in the candy aisle the whole time living off Skittles. The story makes no sense. And the current toxic algae bloom in Zion is apparently no joke.

[Sculpin]

From the water quality page: "All water column samples taken without disturbing the cyanobacterial mats have been free of anatoxin-a." Toxins from cyanobacteria are serious business. But with nobody walking in the river right now, very little is being released. She might have felt sick, she might not have. The guy said that her story was bogus because if she was drinking the water she would most likely be dead, and that is just not true. The fact is that we don't know. There are enough suspicious aspects in this story that we don't need to over-egg the pudding, as the British say.

[JonnyQuest]

[Malachai Constant]

Probably best to just let the family handle it. She now appears safe and that is good news. Not really a hiking story.

[Sculpin]

[Kascadia]

My familiarity with blue-green algae toxicity is via horses/water tanks. I agree about the immune comment, he may understand consequences but not mechanics. That's not unusual, though. From a vet toxicologist: https://equine.ca.uky.edu/news-story/blue-green-algae-poisoning-horses "These algae can produce several major toxins. Some algae produce potent neurotoxins that cause clinical signs such as muscle tremors, respiratory distress, seizures, profuse salivation, diarrhea, and rapid death within minutes to hours. Other algae can produce hepatotoxins (toxins affecting the liver) that can cause acute death or a more delayed death after signs of acute liver failure occur. Photosensitization, a skin condition affecting nonpigmented areas of skin, can occur in animals that survive the acute stages of liver damage. Other types of algal toxins occur in other regions of the world. Blue-green algae toxins are released when algal cells are damaged and die in the water (e.g., after water is treated with an algaecide such as copper sulfate), or when ingested water reaches the animal's digestive tract and disrupts cells, releasing the toxins. Most animals exposed to blue-green algae toxins die acutely. Treatment is supportive and symptomatic. In some cases animals can recover, but death typically occurs so quickly that the animals are found dead near the water source." And yes, horses will wade into a body of water to drink - although not a water tank (which obviously is dynamically different from a flowing river.... vs. pooling water). From last summer: https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/08/27/blue-green-algae-dog-deaths

[Anne Elk]

I suppose it's bad form to criticize and arm-chair quarterback such incidents, but it sounds a little bogus to me, too. Since she was found by SAR in a reasonably short period of time (from the date of inception of the GFMe), I doubt they could have run thru the $12K raised, and I hope they donate the balance to SAR. GFMe doesn't take kindly to bogus claims, and neither does LE, that's for sure.