After nearly three days of uncertainty and a large-scale search operation, Joe Sullivan was found safe on August 5th near Fossil Creek. Sullivan, an Arizona man who was leading a teen church group hike, reportedly went missing during the weekend of August 2nd. The group was part of the Challenge Retreat organized by Miles Jesu, a detail shared in a Payson Roundup article.
The 59-year-old Phoenician was hiking the area around the Fossil Creek dam when he became separated from the group. His predicament came to light after a 911 call was made around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. According to the Gila County Sheriff's Office mentioned in the Payson Roundup piece, Sullivan was in contact with members of his group by cell phone at the time of the call, stating he was uninjured and still had water. Despite efforts from the group to locate him on their own initially, Sullivan remained missing throughout the weekend.
Search efforts commenced early Sunday morning, carried out by GCSO and Tonto Rim Search and Rescue. The rough and steep nature of the area, along with extremely high temperatures and the absence of drinking water, were major concerns for the search teams. This challenging environment was highlighted by Gila County Sheriff Adam Shepherd in statements urging hikers to exercise extreme caution, especially given the excessive heat warnings in effect below 4,000 feet.
Following the multi-day ordeal, Sullivan was eventually discovered and brought to safety. During the days he was missing, he reportedly survived on prickly pears and whatever water he found, as noted in an interview with Father Salcido from FOX 10 Phoenix. Sullivan's resilience culminated in his decision to walk up a rim, where he accessed the highway and flagged down a car. Father Salcido, part of the Miles Jesu community, shared relief with the phrase "Keep praying. We know it works, we’ve seen it." and Mikey Briseno, connected with the retreat, echoed this sentiment, stating it was a "miracle" and attributing the successful outcome to faith and patience.
