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Body found at Grand Canyon likely missing teen boy who was hiking with grandmother

Posted at 5:19 PM, Apr 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-29 11:11:23-04

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — The Grand Canyon National Park says that a body that was found on Friday is likely of a 14-year-old hiker who went missing nearly two weeks ago while in the bottom of the canyon during a family trip.

Jackson Standefer of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was crossing a creek on April 15 when he and his step-grandmother, LouAnn Merrell, lost their footing and were swept away.

Park rangers spent days searching with a helicopter, ground crew, drone and motorized inflatable boat. The search was scaled back last week.

The park says the body was found by a commercial river trip. It was transported by helicopter to the Coconino County Medical Examiner, which will confirm identification.

LouAnn Merrell, the wife of Merrell Boot Co. co-founder Randy Merrell, has not been found. Merrell is from Utah.