Dad Charged After He and Young Kids Are Rescued

A Utah father has been charged with felony child torture and aggravated child abuse after authorities say he forced his three young children—ages 2, 4, and 8—on a perilous mountain trek that ended in a dramatic rescue last month, according to the New York Times. Micah Smith, 31, was indicted this week, roughly six weeks after he and his children were located in the rugged terrain of Big Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City, a day after they had been reported overdue.

Officials say Smith and the children began their hike around 9am on Oct. 11 and reached a summit 3,100 feet above their starting point at about 6pm. As evening fell, the weather deteriorated into heavy mist, fog, rain, and hail. Initial reports portrayed Smith as a determined father who battled the elements to keep his kids alive, and a GoFundMe campaign even praised him for suffering frostbite while trying to protect them.

However, investigators now say the reality was far different. According to police, Smith compelled the children to “march on” through unstable, dangerous terrain filled with loose rocks and shifting boulders, choosing a route authorities say was entirely inappropriate for young kids. A video recovered from Smith’s phone reportedly shows his daughter asking, “Are we going to freeze to death, daddy?”

Police say that about two hours after reaching the summit, Smith began searching for shelter. During the descent, the 2-year-old reportedly struck his head and appeared “dazed.” Later, while attempting to build a shelter, the toddler lost consciousness and may have stopped breathing until Smith performed CPR, authorities say. Smith also told police that the 4-year-old later struggled to breathe as well, prompting him to teach the 8-year-old how to perform CPR before he left the children and continued down the mountain alone.

Rescuers found the children the following day in critical condition. According to ABC 4, the 8-year-old girl was discovered sheltering behind a boulder, while her 2-year-old brother was found beneath his 4-year-old sibling, who was unconscious and appeared “lifeless.” The 4-year-old reportedly had no pulse, and rescuers were only able to revive a faint heart rhythm after 25 minutes of CPR. His body temperature upon arriving at the hospital was just 62.6 degrees, and he had suffered a stroke that required part of his skull to be removed to relieve pressure.

Authorities say Smith had been exhibiting increasingly unstable behavior before the hike, including prior suicidal thoughts. He was taken into custody on Tuesday.

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