This week my cousin made US national news, but not for reasons any family would ever want. 

On Wednesday I received a phone call from my father that my cousin, Jonathan Hogue, had gone missing. He was last seen at classes at the University of Iowa, where he was a graduate teaching assistant and working on his doctorate in geography. His dream was to be a park ranger.

His car, with keys still in it, had been found near the Green River Outlook in the Island of the Sky area of Canyonlands National Park in Utah. His jacket and phone had been turned in at the park, but we knew nothing more. 

The park posted on its Facebook page details about him, describing his height and build and so on, and soon it was picked up in other media. He had been an avid hiker and scrambler. It was a very long couple of days for the entire family, but we held hope he would be found alive as the search and rescue was underway.

The post on the Canyonlands National Park Facebook page was shared nearly 900 times by good citizens. It was shared in hiking groups. Shared among contacts some of us had in Utah. Many were eager to help. 

On Friday, the worst was confirmed: his body had been found at the base of the overlook. I received the news from a family member, and no more than an hour later, the news made the rounds: first in local media in Utah, then in US national media.

Given that there was a six-hour time difference between my family and me, I couldn’t help but try and search for more answers in the media. In many cases, it was impossible: thanks to Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), many sites were inaccessible from Luxembourg.

It goes without saying that our family is devastated. I cannot imagine what his parents or siblings are going through. This was the first of our cousins’ generation to pass away, and the fact that he was one of the youngest, only 33, makes it even harder to reconcile. 

Of course, what the media didn’t capture was his character. Whenever I saw Jonathan, he asked about my travels. I remember his curiosity, but also his quiet, gentle nature. In my mind, he will forever be a boy running around with the cousins in our family orchard, those glorious Ohio summers…

A recent photo of Jonathan Hogue, pictured with his nephew. Photo: courtesy Alicia Shullick

There has been, somehow, small comfort in social media. Condolences poured in on the posts from many corners of the globe, that thoughts were with the family during this difficult time. A couple of posts in particular stood out. Sherene Jones wrote, “My son is a park ranger. I have been following this story in hopes that this young man would be located. My heart is broken for this man’s family, and though nothing will lessen their grief, I would like them to know their sadness and loss is shared far and wide.”

In another comment, Paul Kalich helped explain the terrain, sharing his own story about how he had been hurt in the Grand Gallery area in the park just three years ago and was airlifted out, taken to intensive care after the incident. “The rock is called slickrock for a reason, gravel/sand on it can be like ball bearings underfoot, and there is almost nothing to grab…he may have been several feet from the edge, winds there can be crazy, and using every proper hiking technique.”

I hope that his parents and siblings find some comfort in those condolences. So often social media is blamed for misinformation and negativity, but in these circumstances, we witnessed the power of social media in trying to seek solutions, in offering comfort.