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Ashley Lea Smith is pictured with her dog, Buckey, and Matt Teeters after the missing hiker was found on Arkansas' Eagle Rock Loop. Photo credit: GoFundMe/Family.
A missing hiker in Arkansas was found after a stranger took a day off work and joined the search with her dog, prompting his family to launch a GoFundMe campaign to thank the pair. Matt Teeters disappeared on September 23, 2026, while hiking the Eagle Rock Loop in the Ouachita National Forest after becoming separated from his cousin.
As search efforts continued overnight, Ashley Lea Smith, a local hiker familiar with the terrain, decided to look for him the following morning. Accompanied by her dog, Buckey, Smith eventually located Teeters near Winding Stair. He was reunited with his family after first responders checked him for injuries. His family later launched an online fundraiser to help pay for repairs and improvements to Smith's home.
How a stranger and her dog found the missing hiker in Arkansas
Teeters was hiking the Eagle Rock Loop near Albert Pike in Arkansas when he became separated from his cousin, Nick Walker, on September 23. According to local reporting, the pair were approaching Winding Stair, where a relative was expected to meet them with additional water and Gatorade.Teeters was walking behind Walker because his feet were blistered and he had slowed down. Walker reached the meeting point, but Teeters did not arrive.
After searching the surrounding area without finding him, the family contacted authorities, and an emergency signal was sent using satellite messaging.The disappearance prompted a search led by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the US Forest Service. Search efforts continued into the night as rescuers worked to locate Teeters in the mountainous terrain.News of the missing hiker eventually reached Ashley Lea Smith, who was familiar with the area through her hiking experience.
On the morning of September 24, she called in to work, took her dog Buckey and headed towards the Winding Stair area to look for him.Smith approached from Musgrove Hole and eventually spotted a man wearing a red shirt. In an interview with local television station KTHV, she recalled calling out to ask whether he was Matt.When he confirmed his identity, Smith told her dog, “Buckey, we found him.”Teeters was subsequently reunited with his cousin and family.
Smith told KTHV that emergency medical personnel and other first responders examined him and found that he had scrapes and bruises. He was otherwise reported to be OK.
Why the family launched a GoFundMe for the rescuer
After Teeters was found, his family decided to organise a fundraiser to express their gratitude to Smith for taking the time to search for someone she had never met.The GoFundMe campaign, titled Giving Back to Ashley and Buckey - Hiking Heroes, was organised by Jennifer Teeters, Matt's sister.
According to the campaign description, the family wanted to help Smith with repairs and improvements to her home, including work on the roof and the construction of a new deck.The family contributed the first $500 towards the cost of materials, labour and other expenses associated with the work. In its appeal, the family explained that Smith had provided the news they had spent the night hoping and praying for.The fundraiser was intended as a way to offer practical assistance in return for her kindness.
Smith had not asked for a reward, and the family described the campaign as an opportunity to support someone who had stepped forward when they needed help.According to People, the campaign had raised more than $6,000 by October 2, 2026, towards its stated goal at the time. Fundraising totals can change, and the amount raised should be checked against the live campaign page before publication.
Ashley Smith says she was simply trying to do the right thing
Despite the attention surrounding the rescue, Smith played down the idea that she had done anything extraordinary.Speaking to KTHV, she said she did not consider herself special and described her decision as an attempt to help someone in need. She also credited Buckey for accompanying her during the search.Smith's actions came after an overnight search involving authorities and other searchers. Her familiarity with the area helped her decide where to look, and she eventually located Teeters near Winding Stair.The rescue also brought relief to Teeters' relatives, who had spent hours uncertain about his whereabouts.
Jennifer Teeters wrote in the fundraiser description that the family would never be able to fully repay Smith for the relief she brought them.The campaign has therefore become more than a fundraising appeal. It is an attempt by a family to offer tangible support to a stranger whose decision to help made a lasting difference to them.
What happened during the search for Matt Teeters?
The Eagle Rock Loop is a roughly 27-mile hiking route in Arkansas' Ouachita National Forest.
Teeters had set out on the hike with his cousin, and the pair became separated while making their way along the trail.According to accounts shared by the family and local reporting, Teeters took a wrong turn near a trail junction and became lost. Searchers worked through the night, with the rugged terrain complicating communications and the effort to locate him.The incident also prompted online speculation about whether the cousins had argued or whether Teeters had been abandoned.
His cousin rejected those claims, and the available reporting indicates that the separation occurred during the hike.Teeters was eventually found on September 24, and the family was able to reunite with him after the search. The subsequent GoFundMe campaign shifted attention towards Smith and Buckey, whose contribution the family wanted to recognise.
Where the GoFundMe donations will go
The fundraiser is intended to help cover improvements to Smith's home, particularly a new deck and roof repairs.
Jennifer Teeters said the family wanted to support Smith in the same spirit in which she had helped them.The initial $500 contribution came from the family itself, with the online appeal inviting other people to contribute towards the remaining costs.The campaign's stated purpose is to fund the repairs and upgrades, rather than to provide Smith with a general cash reward.
