Officials say the remains of a Grand Canyon hiker missing for almost 15 years have been found positively identified.
Bill Ott disappeared in May 2012 while on a solo trek searching for ancient rock-art panels in the remote western portion of the canyon, according to a 2017 Canyon Commentary by KNAU contributor Scott Thybony, who took part in the initial search.
When Ott didn’t return a month later, a large multi-agency search was launched in the area of Mohawk Canyon, a long tributary gorge of the Grand Canyon. Searchers weren’t able to find Ott despite discovering boot prints in the area.
But in December 2025, members of the Hualapai Tribe found human remains in the area where the original search took place.
The remains were turned over to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office, which worked with the Arizona Department of Public Safety to make an identification through DNA analysis. Officials didn’t provide a cause of death or any further information.
Ott was a former river guide and an experienced expedition hiker. According to Thybony, in 1981 Ott spent 78 days walking the length of the Grand Canyon and became the first known person to complete the traverse on the north side.
