Micah Smith set off for a hike with his three children in Utah on October 11, 2025. When Smith and his 2-year-old son, 4-year-old son, and 8-year-old daughter didn’t return several hours later, loved ones became concerned. The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office launched a search and rescue mission and found the family alive the following morning. Nearly two months later, prosecutors charged Smith in connection with the dangerous hike.
The family took off on their hike in the Big Cottonwood Canyon area of Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The weather was cold that day, and the family became trapped in the elements. According to a since-deleted GoFundMe, Smith suffered third-degree frostbite and a child, identified as Ezra, was on life support after the rescue. The sheriff’s office noted in a news release following the rescue that the case remained under investigation. Now we know why.
According to court documents obtained by KTVK, Smith told investigators he didn’t know much about the area prior to taking his young children on the hike. The family took off around 9 a.m. and reached the summit around 6 p.m. At that point, the weather “turned into mist, fog, rain, and hail.” Smith tried to shelter his children from the elements after descending about 600 feet.
Smith’s 2-year-old reportedly fell and hit his head and became unconscious. Smith allegedly performed CPR until the child could breathe on his own. He also told investigators he “tried to use his body, head … to keep the children warm.” But things apparently got progressively worse. At one point, Smith allegedly taught the 8-year-old child to perform CPR on the 4-year-old child and left them to go down the mountain.
Per KTVK, the 4-year-old had no pulse when deputies arrived. Emergency responders restarted his heart, but he had a body temperature of 62.6 degrees when he arrived at the hospital. He suffered a stroke and doctors had to remove part of his skull to place a drain. As of late November, the 4-year-old was still in the hospital.
The 8-year-old reportedly told police she “worried about not living,” But her father allegedly said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
In a video found on Smith’s phone, his daughter reportedly said, “Are we going to freeze to death, daddy?” Smith allegedly responded, “almost to the top.”
The Smith family released a statement obtained by KTVK that reads, “The family is grieving and asks for privacy and sensitivity during this profoundly difficult time. We appreciate the outpouring of concern from the community. Our hearts are broken by what has happened, and our focus now is on ensuring that Micah, Samantha, and their children receive the support and love they need to heal. The kids are continuing to recover, and your deepest prayers are appreciated.”
Sadly, these children experienced terror rather than family fun. It’s unclear why Smith was so adamant about hiking that day, but he reportedly threatened self-harm shortly before the hike. He’s currently in the Salt Lake County Jail without bond.
“This is about the emotional and psychological harm,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said. “The way that he acted was in a depraved manner that caused emotional harm.”
Smith faces three counts of child torture charges and three counts of aggravated child abuse.
