Distraught Utah mom maintains bedside vigil for critically ill 4-year-old son after the boy's father 'forced his kids on a treacherous nine-mile hike'
The devastated mom of the three small children who had to be hospitalized following
a 'nightmare' hike has been maintaining a vigil at their bedsides – even moving into an
Airbnb in Salt Lake City to be closer to them.
Samantha Smith, 29, was seen looking downcast in exclusive Daily Mail photos as she emerged from the modest property where she has been staying
since her kids – aged two, four and eight – were
rescued from a rocky trail in the Wasatch Mountains in October.
Last week, her estranged husband Micah Smith, 31, was arrested over the incident and slapped with six felony counts of child torture and aggravated child abuse.
Charging documents show his three young kids were plucked from Big Cottonwood Canyon on October 11 suffering from severe hypothermia – with the youngest two both left unconscious after a night outside in near freezing temperatures.
Four-year-old Ezra had to endure 25-minutes of CPR after being found 'lifeless' and later suffered a stroke while being treated at the Primary Children's Hospital of
Utah – forcing doctors to remove part of his skull to save his life.
Samantha, who told cops last month she is divorcing Smith following a domestic incident at the Airbnb, has been staying at the blue-painted property since the incident to be closer to Ezra who remains hospitalized.
The devoted mom's vigil is in stark contrast to the actions of Smith who was booted from the hospital on November 10 for 'interfering' with his son's treatment and for tampering with medical equipment.
Despite that, Smith's family are standing by him with older brother Jedediah telling the Daily Mail that he adores his children and had no intention of harming them.
'100 percent, he loves his kids, and he was not trying to hurt them in any way,' Jedediah, 41, said.
'Everybody who knows them, anybody who has worked with Micah, anybody who knows Micah, anybody who knows our family just knows that it was never the case.'
He told the Daily Mail that the 'close family' is trying to figure out how to deal with the situation and said there was more to it than has been reported but that they are reluctant to say anything that might hinder Smith's defense.
Asked if the bigger picture had anything to do with the breakdown of his marriage and Samantha's new boyfriend – which the Daily Mail reported on Thursday – Jedediah said yes but declined to provide further details.
But he did say his side of the family were being kept in the loop about the children's condition, adding that one of his sisters has been at desperately ill Ezra's bedside every day.
Jedediah said: 'She has been watching him and everything's going good. The kids are all doing amazing now.'
Smith is currently facing six felony charges arising from the ill-fated hike, with Salt Lake City District Attorney Sim Gill characterizing his behavior as 'extremely selfish' in a motion for pre-trial detention – in sharp contrast to Zach's account of his 'brave sacrifice'.
The veteran prosecutor wrote that 'what seemed like an innocent hike with his three children quickly turned into a nightmare when the defendant chose to summit a mountain over the safety of his kids'.
He also noted that Smith had been 'ill-prepared and extremely selfish' and made the trip with minimal supplies that included several cans of tuna, five bottles of water and some pretzels.
In a police interview, Smith admitted that he hadn't checked trail reports or the weather before starting the trek up the treacherous Broads Fork Trail in the Twin Peaks area of the Wasatch Mountains.
Despite the children being exhausted and struggling, the four managed to make it to the summit.
According to charging documents, eight-year-old Ember had begged her dad to let them leave – only to be told 'you shall not pass'.
It was then that a storm rolled in, showering the youngsters with freezing snow, hail and rain and soaking their clothes.
At the same time, Smith was involved in a text fight with Samantha, with the 29-year-old begging him to bring their kids down – at one point, responding to a message with 'child endangerment. Not cool'.
Despite repeated follow up texts, Smith and the children only made it 600ft back down the trail where they were found, 24 hours after setting out, by Search and Rescue.
By that point, both boys were unconscious and 'appeared lifeless' while all three children were suffering from hypothermia after temperatures dipped to lows of 34F during the night.
Smith, meanwhile, was described as looking 'unconcerned' about his children's welfare and even told rescuers one of the children had died.
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