Jul 26, 2025 – Bighorn

Report ID#81968

2025-07-26
accident date
Alan Shaw
victim
82
victim age
Bighorn
river
Near Hardin
section
Mallards Fishing Access
location
n/a
gage
n/a
water level
N/A
river difficulty
PFD Not Worn or Present
cause code(s)
Does not Apply
injury type(s)
n/a
factors
Private
trip type
Other
boat type
status?
status

Description

https://www.flyfisherman.com/editorial/montana-fatality-water-safety/530129 The recent recovery of 82-year-old Alan Shaw’s body from the Bighorn River near Hardin has reignited concerns over river safety in Montana and neighboring Wyoming. Shaw was reported missing on July 26 after his boat capsized near Mallards Fishing Access. His companion survived the incident, but Shaw never resurfaced, prompting a multi-day search and eventual recovery operation. The tragedy was compounded by a wave of misinformation that mistakenly linked Shaw’s death to another ongoing search effort in Wyoming. Social media speculation falsely identified Shaw as Grant Gardner, a 38-year-old Minnesota man who went missing while hiking in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. Gardner last contacted his wife after summiting Cloud Peak on July 29, describing the climb as “more taxing than expected.” Authorities have clarified that the two cases are unrelated and continue to search for Gardner in Big Horn County, Wyoming.