The OP had a bad travel day and a half. Certainly frustrating. Suggestions going forward.

Help desks only have a few staff, the phone lines have more staff. Last time I had an IRROP I was on the phone before I left the canceled aircraft.

Locating baggage - One of the best features of the Delta app is the baggage tracking. However, AppleTags are your own personal backup. That said, last time I had a baggage issue I learned some lessons. One of which is try to get some sleep.