Grant Gardner, a 38-year-old father of two from Minnesota, disappeared during a solo hike in Wyoming’s Cloud Peak Wilderness on July 29. Weeks later, his wife Lauren received confirmation of his passing, along with a final message she never got to answer.

The heartbreaking update was shared by the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office after a professional climbing team from North Carolina discovered Gardner’s body beneath a ledge near the 13,000-foot summit, bringing a devastating close to a search that had gripped an entire community.

Now, officials have confirmed the contents of that final message: It wasn’t a call for help. It was a confirmation.

Authorities have revealed the final message Grant Gardner, a 38-year-old father who lost his life while hiking, sent to his wife before tragedy

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