Melbourne outdoorsman Will Standish, 28, has been identified as the man who died while attempting the Continental Divide Trail in Wyoming.
Standish was declared missing on July 26 after he failed to reach his next checkpoint during the more than 4800-kilometre trek from Canada to Mexico. His body was found days later in the Wigwams, a region of the Teton mountain range.
Search and rescue findings
Evidence suggests Standish may have fallen from a steep, high-altitude ridgeline that separates Grand Teton National Park and the Jedediah Smith Wilderness, according to Teton County Search and Rescue.
A second attempt
This was Standish’s second attempt at the gruelling trail, after a foot injury forced him to abandon his first try in 2024. The feat would have added to his impressive list of treks around the world, including in Nepal, Sweden, Papua New Guinea, Australia and the United States.
Family and trail community mourn
His family now face the heartbreaking task of arranging for his remains to be transported back to Australia.
“Our beautiful Will — his heart and soul are forever in the mountains,” his family said. “Rest in eternal sunshine. Dance with the stars.”
A community of Standish’s “trail friends” has launched a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of repatriating his body.
“Will was a funny, adventurous spirit that brought laughter to every situation,” the fundraiser reads. “To be around him was to be infused with his unbridled joy for every aspect of life. His sudden passing has left his family to navigate a painful loss that no family is ever truly prepared for.”
The Continental Divide Trail Coalition, a group of hikers who document the wild hike, said the community has “lost a bit of light this week” and noted Standish had started his second attempt “stronger than ever”.
