SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 26, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — A 31-year-old father has been arrested for multiple first-degree felonies in connection with a mountain hike he took with his children, ages 2, 4 and 8, resulting in serious to critical injuries.
Micah Zephan Smith, 31, was booked into the Salt Lake County jail Tuesday for investigation of three counts of child torture and three counts of aggravated child abuse, intentional or knowingly. All are first-degree felonies.
On Oct. 11 of this year, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office received a missing persons report regarding missing hikers Smith and his young children, who had gone on a hike near Broads Fork Trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon.
Search and rescue crews found Smith on a trail and “noted that Smith was behaving oddly and did not appear to be concerned about the children,” his arrest document says. “Smith also told SAR team members that one of his children was dead.”
The children were located near a boulder with a few sticks stacked against it, and rescuers were hoisted in by a helicopter.
“They noted that the children were not wearing much clothing, stating that (the 2-year-old boy) was under (the 4-year-old boy) and (the 4-year-old) was mostly exposed, unconscious, and appeared lifeless.”
A responding deputy checked for a pulse on the 4-year-old and could not find one. The 2-year-old, believed to be in critical condition, was extracted first and transported to a local hospital. The 4- and 8-year-old were transported next. En route, no pulse could be found in the 4-year-old, and CPR was performed for about 25 minutes.
“It was noted that his heart rhythms were either asystole or bradycardic.”
Upon arrival at the hospital, the 4-year-old’s body temperature was 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
“While in the hospital, (the 4-year-old) suffered a stroke, which required a portion of his skull to be removed and an external ventricular drain to be placed.”
The hike
The 8-year-old girl told investigators that on the day of the hike, they got snacks and Smith “told her it was going to be a 9-mile hike and a 9-hour hike, but wasn’t sure which.”
She said “they climbed about two miles from the top and they had to climb rocks and grab onto bushes. (She ) said near the top, the clouds started to come in, and she suggested to Smith that they should go, but he shook his head no, and said, ‘This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.’ (She) said she again expressed to Smith that they should really go and said that she was getting scared.”
The girl said her father “told her ‘You shall not pass,’ and then the storm came in really quickly and described that it was snowing, hailing, and raining.”
“She said she was worried about not living, but Smith told her that they were OK. (The 8-year-old girl) described that it was a really hard night and she was freezing cold.”
The girl said she worked to keep the 4-year-old warm, and Smith tried to keep the 2-year-old warm. She “described that their teeth were chattering and their clothes were wet.”
The girl said “one of her brothers had hypothermia, and she ran to her brother with hypothermia and hugged him tight to try and make him a little warmer, and she had to breathe into his mouth and push on his chest.”
Smith taught her CPR and how to push on the 4-year-old’s chest that day, she said.
Smith told investigators that on Oct. 11, he decided to take the children on a hike at about 9 a.m. He said they bought new shoes and socks and reached the trailhead about 10 a.m.
Smith said they made good time and were near the summit at about 6 p.m., according to his arrest document.
He said that “around this time, the weather turned into mist, fog, rain, and hail. Smith said they attempted to hike back down the trail and made it approximately 600 feet down before he decided they should find shelter and estimated it was 8 p.m.
“Smith said while they attempted to hike down, (the 2-year-old) fell and hit his head and appeared dazed. Smith said he found a large rock that had some kind of overhang they could shelter under. He then gathered logs, sticks, and rocks to make a windscreen and put pine needles down on the ground.”
Smith told investigators he added his shirt to create a makeshift wall, “then put the children under the boulder, removed their wet clothes, and tried to use his body…to keep the children warm.”
Smith said the 2-year-old was unconscious and stopped breathing, so Smith performed CPR until the toddler was breathing on his own.
Smith described the children as “very, very cold,” and said all of their clothing was soaked from the rain. He described them as “numb from the cold” and scared. Smith admitted he was unfamiliar with the trail.
During the night, the 4-year-old boy became very cold and was not warming up, and had difficulty breathing. Smith said he performed CPR. The 4-year-old began breathing on his own, but was not coherent or responsive, court documents say.
Smith told investigators he taught CPR to his 8-year-old daughter and told her to do CPR on the 4-year-old while he went down the mountain.
“During a subsequent interview, Smith was Mirandized and reported that the children were dressed in pants and jackets. He also admitted that he did not check the trail reports or the weather prior to heading out for the hike.”
He said he “bought jerky, cans of tuna, five waters, pretzels, Cliff bars, candy, and a Gatorade for the hike.”
Smith said that after his toddler hit his head, the child became dazed but did not lose consciousness. While in the makeshift shelter, the toddler did lose consciousness and stopped breathing. Smith said he performed CPR, and the toddler began to moan and groan.
Smith said that at about 4 a.m., his 4-year-old began to have breathing problems, and had fluids in his lungs and foam coming from his nose and mouth.
Smith admitted “he considered turning around due to the weather when they were close to the peak, but wanted to finish the hike before turning around. Smith also said that the kids asked to go home, but he thought they would be OK and continued hiking.”
He said all three children “complained about the hike through most of the hike, and he managed the complaints by taking breaks, giving encouragement, and playing games with them. Smith said they watched the weather come in and he sent photos to his wife … who suggested they start hiking down the mountain, however, Smith reported that he was comfortable hiking in the dark without light.”
Smith said the 8-year-old girl “expressed that she was scared when the clouds moved in and asked if they were something bad, however he assured her that they were just clouds and said it was dark and kinda cool. Smith admitted that the hike was spontaneous and not well planned.”
Enforcement noted that the hike Smith took with the children was nearly 9 miles long, was rated as hard, and was not recommended for beginners or children. They also noted that the weather on the date of the hike showed rain and thunderstorms, strong winds, below-normal temperatures, and snow in the mountains, Smith’s arrest document says.
Evidence
SAR crews retraced the hike and noted that “the hike was hazardous, the rocks and boulders were not stable and shifted under their feet, and the ground was unstable.
“Deputy Franchow reported that the hike took approximately 5 hours and 15 minutes to reach the area where the children were located. He noted that they hiked 6.6 miles and
gained 3,160 feet of elevation. Deputy Franchow stated that only two deputies felt confident in their skills to access the rescue location, and while hiking, they encountered thorny bushes, shifting rocks, and received injuries, including bloody arms, bloody knuckles, and puncture wounds. They also experienced a rockslide.”
A search of Smith’s phone revealed multiple photos and videos taken during the hike. In one video, the 8-year-old “expressed that the clouds were moving in fast and asked Smith ‘Are we going to freeze to death, daddy?’ Smith responded that they are almost to the top.”
Other videos showed the children hiking off trail after Smith told them they were “taking the path less traveled.”
In a text argument with his wife, Smith wrote, “everyone is starting to fail and it’s starting to rain. I’m getting tired of carrying (the 2-year-old). It’s tough.”
The officer’s arrest document also noted that “Micah is believed to be a danger to his children. DCFS is involved and has currently restricted access to the children. Micah also was recently released from a domestic violence with his wife.”
An update posted on Nov. 10 on the family’s GoFundMe account says that the Smiths’ older son, who was 4 at the time of the incident, remains hospitalized at Primary Children’s Hospital and is now able to move his right side and speak in full sentences.
An earlier update, on Oct. 18, said that Smith and his youngest son had been released the week prior. The girl was released from the hospital before Oct. 14, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office posted earlier.
Big Cottonwood Canyon. Photo: Gephardt Daily/Patrick Benedict
