MOOSE, WYOMING — An Ohio teen who disappeared during a volunteer project at a national park last week was found unharmed, although she had disguised herself and attempted to escape from rescuers.
Fauna Jackson, a 16-year-old Cincinnati native, went missing while on a trip hosted by Groundwork USA at Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park on Thursday.
According to reports, Jackson vanished on Thursday morning after she took a break from her team’s trail-building project. Authorities assembled a rescue team with help from the FBI and a single hiking boot was found, a discovery the National Park Service reported on Friday evening.
Rescue team found Jackson after 48 hours of search, she was spotted wearing a green long-sleeve shirt that said “Groundwork USA,” the organization she volunteered for. Jackson was found near the Snake River Overlook about three to four miles from where she disappeared, officials said. “An early morning flight by the Wyoming Civil Air Patrol contributed to finding Jackson,” a press release from Grand Teton National Park said.
When the rescue team discovered Jackson, she had changed her appearance by cutting her hair short and dying her hair. She attempted to flee from her rescuers and had to be restrained by park rangers and a sheriff’s deputy.
The motive behind Jackson’s action remains unknown. She had previously posted multiple photos to her Facebook and Instagram accounts during the volunteer trip to keep in touch with her family and friends and express her pleasure with the trip.
