Search for NJ man missing at Grand Canyon scaled back

✅ Thomas Gibbs was last heard from by his family on July 21

✅ His family reported him as missing on July 28

✅ The massive Dragon Bravo megafire did not stop a search for Gibbs

National Park Service rangers have scaled back their search for a Freehold Township man who has been missing in the Grand Canyon for over a week as one of the largest wildfires in Arizona burned.

Thomas Gibbs, 35, of Freehold Township, went on a solo trip to the Grand Canyon and was last heard from by his family on July 22. They reported him missing on July 28, the same day his Tesla Cybertruck was found parked in the Grandview Point parking lot on the South Rim.

The search focused on the Grandview Trail, a trail described as being for "for experienced desert hikers only."

ALSO READ: Fare hikes, service cuts days away for SEPTA

Dragon Bravo megafire burns during search

According to a Facebook post by his sister Valerie Saunders Gibbs' birthday was July 22. She is looking to hear from anyone who may have texted with Gibbs to construct a timeline of events leading to his disappearance.

The NPS told Fox News that additional evidence indicating Gibbs was on the Grandview Trail was not found. The search has since been scaled back

During the search, the Dragon Bravo megafire was burning, which the NPS said did not hinder its search. The fire has burned 130,520 acres on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom