Tesla Cybertruck discovered during search for missing New Jersey hiker on challenging Grand Canyon trail
Missing Person: Thomas Daniel Gibbs in Grand Canyon National Park
Thomas Daniel Gibbs, a 35-year-old man from Freehold, New Jersey, has been missing in Grand Canyon National Park since July 22, 2025. Gibbs was last in contact with family and friends on that day, and was reported missing on July 28.
Gibbs is described as a white male, standing at 6-foot-1-inch tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. His Tesla Cybertruck was found in the Grandview Point parking lot on the South Rim of the canyon on the same day he was reported missing.
The National Park Service (NPS) has asked anyone who was in the Grandview Trail area around July 22 and might have seen Gibbs or has information about his whereabouts to contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009, or submit tips online at www.nps.gov/ISB or via email at [email protected].
The Grand View Trail, a steep, rugged, and precarious hike that descends into the canyon, is not mentioned as the location where Gibbs was last seen or believed to have been hiking. However, it is believed that he was hiking in the Grandview Trail / Horseshoe Mesa area on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
The search and situation have been complicated by the ongoing Dragon Bravo Fire at the Grand Canyon's North Rim. This wildfire, which has destroyed numerous structures and forced the closure of the North Rim developed area to the public, has burned over 123,000 acres. The presence of this major fire and associated closures and smoke make hiking and rescue operations more hazardous in the park currently.
The NPS advises that the Grand View Trail should only be attempted by experienced desert hikers. Yesterday, an extreme heat warning was issued for Grand Canyon National Park, forecasting temperatures as high as 112°F (44°C). Smoky conditions were also present in the park yesterday.
The National Park Service warns that trail conditions on the Grand View Trail are tougher than the popular Bright Angel and South Kaibab Trails. Hiking to Horsehoe Canyon via the Grand View Trail is a six-mile round-trip journey.
The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is closed for the remainder of the 2025 season due to damage and losses caused by the Dragon Bravo Wildfire. The situation remains under active investigation with ongoing search efforts.
- Thomas Daniel Gibbs, a sports enthusiast known for his adventure-travel lifestyle, might have experienced an unforeseen thrill or misfortune during his travel to Grand Canyon National Park, involving weather conditions as extreme heat warning was issued on July 23, reaching 112°F (44°C), and smoky conditions due to the Dragon Bravo Fire.
- The Grand View Trail, an arduous hike even for experienced desert hikers, could have been Gibbs' choice for his next lifestyle adventure, offering him the challenges he sought in sports, despite the warnings about its tougher trail conditions compared to the Bright Angel and South Kaibab Trails.
