Young Explorer Drake Kramer, Now Missing as a Hiker in Grand Canyon, Told Family He Wanted to be with Mother Earth and Set Soul Free in Arizona

""Search teams in Arizona combed an area Tuesday at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park after a San Antonio man was reported missing from the site, authorities said.

Drake L. Kramer, 21, was reported missing by his family on Monday, said Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski, acting public affairs officer at Grand Canyon National Park.

Shedlowski said Kramer was a guest at Bright Angel Lodge on Saturday and checked out Sunday.

Grand Canyon National Park covers more than 1.2 million acres in Arizona, Shedlowski said.

“We don’t have a lot of information right now, but his last known location was in the developed area of the South Rim, which is pretty large,” she said.

For perspective, Shedlowski said a developed trail that runs along the South Rim is 14 miles long, “just along the rim. That flat trail is just one tiny portion.”

Winter conditions along the South Rim can be extreme, according to the park service. They caution hikers to be prepared for snow, icy roads and trails, and possible road closures.

During winter, low temperatures generally are in the teens, while afternoon highs can average in the 40s because of the amount of sunshine in that area, according to the park service.

Shedlowski said Kramer’s family is in Arizona, working with liaisons on the search team.

Contacted Tuesday night, Robbin Kramer said the family is in the middle of searching and didn’t have many details about his son’s disappearance.

“This is a brand-new thing for us, and my wife and I want to make sure that we get all the right information out there about him,” Robbin Kramer said.

According to Drake Kramer’s Facebook page, he attended Northwest Vista College.

Melissa Monroe-Young, a public information officer at the college, confirmed that Kramer has attended the college.

Robbin Kramer said his son had just purchased books to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he plans to study geology.

No further information was immediately available.

Shedlowski said the park service is conducting a search and rescue operation for Kramer. She added that a missing persons investigation also is ongoing.

She asked that anyone with information on Kramer’s whereabouts contact the park service’s Silent Witness Line at 928-638-7840.""

Source 1 Article:

http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/San-Antonio-man-21-reported-missing-at-Grand-6060562.php

""Last Monday, the avid hiker and aspiring geologist texted his father that he was at the Grand Canyon and "needed to be back with Mother Earth and set his soul free," his father tells ABC News; then he disappeared. "At that point we really started getting worried and started calling and trying to get people to look for him," his dad says. Kramer had visited the area with his aunt, and he posted "wish I could stay" on Facebook. "We're focusing on the positive by trying to believe that him saying he needed to be with Mother Earth and set his soul free that he was talking about being out in nature and being one with nature," says his dad.

Because a week has gone by with no clues, efforts are now being scaled back to rangers and pilots looking for clues when they're in the area, reports San Antonio Express-News. Kramer is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, 140 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair. He was last seen in blue jeans and an olive-green sweatshirt""

Source 2 Article:

http://www.newser.com/story/202415/missing-hiker-said-he-had-to-be-back-with-mother-earth.html?utm_source=part&utm_medium=clearchannel&utm_campaign=story