The body of a 26-year-old hiker who went missing in Washington’s Olympic National Park has been recovered nearly two weeks after he began an overnight backcountry trip, officials said.
Search crews found Neil Gehring on the northwest slope of Mount Appleton after analyzing additional cellphone location data, according to the National Park Service.
Search-and-rescue personnel recovered Gehring’s body Sunday evening. It was transported to the Clallam County Coroner’s Office at approximately 8 p.m. on Sept. 13.
Authorities have not disclosed what the cellphone data showed or provided details about the circumstances surrounding Gehring’s death.
Gehring departed from the Madison Falls Trailhead on Aug. 31 for a backcountry trip that was expected to last one night.
According to his permit, he planned to travel cross-country from Boulder Lake to Appleton Pass and return to the trailhead on Sept. 1.
When Gehring failed to return, he was reported overdue at 6:30 a.m. the following day, and an emergency search began.
Over the next 10 days, search teams examined the route he was expected to take from the air and on the ground. Drones and search dogs were also deployed.
After those efforts failed to locate him, Olympic National Park said on Sept. 11 that crews would shift their strategy. The focus turned to identifying new clues that might help investigators narrow the search area.
Investigators also urged anyone who had been in the area or had information about Gehring’s whereabouts to contact authorities.
Two days later, searchers located Gehring after obtaining and reviewing additional cellphone location information.
Olympic National Park expressed its gratitude to the volunteer search-and-rescue teams that assisted in the operation.
The National Park Service said no further information was available at this time.
