An at-risk hiker who went missing in Big Cottonwood Canyon on Saturday, July 25, was found safe roughly six and a half hours later after a multi-agency search involving eight rescue teams, drone units, and a state helicopter.

The vulnerable adult became separated from their hiking party at Silver Lake at approximately 1 p.m., according to Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue. A witness reported seeing the person near Solitude Village around 3 p.m., but by then Unified Police had already launched an initial search spanning Brighton, Solitude, and upper Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Search and Rescue crews described the subject as "exceptionally fit and capable of covering ground quickly," which complicated the effort. That speed meant teams had to cover a vast swath of terrain.

Eight SAR teams and drone units deployed across ground stretching from Solitude down canyon to Mill D and up canyon to Silver Lake, Solitude Lake, Twin Lakes, and surrounding trails, according to SAR's incident report posted Saturday evening. Additional resources monitored the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon and the subject's home address in case they left the search area entirely.

The Utah Department of Public Safety Aero Bureau joined with a helicopter but was redirected to another emergency in a neighboring county after about 10 minutes of searching.

At approximately 7:30 p.m., the missing hiker walked into a shop in Solitude Village. Staff recognized the situation and called law enforcement, leading to a reunion with the hiker's family. According to SAR's report, authorities believe the subject had sheltered in a nearby cabin for several hours before entering the store.

The hiker's identity has not been released, consistent with privacy protections for vulnerable adults. The name of the shop has also not been disclosed.

Utah officials note there is no required waiting period to report a missing person. In an emergency, residents should call 911.

Silver Lake and Solitude Village sit in upper Big Cottonwood Canyon, less than two miles from the Cottonwood Heights city limits. Salt Lake County SAR posted its incident log at 5:36 p.m. Saturday, listing the location as Silver Lake and the incident type as "Missing At-Risk Hiker."