Mount Katahdin in Maine is most famous for being the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, but this week, the area became a tragic focal point. A father and daughter from New York went missing on the mountain while hiking over the weekend. After 3 days of searching, both bodies have been found, according to authorities with Baxter State Park, where the mountain is located.
Esther Keiderling, 28, and her father, Tim Keiderling, 58, were visiting Baxter State Park in Millinocket and had planned to hike to the 5,270-foot summit of Mt. Katahdin. They were last seen on the morning of Sunday, June 1, after leaving Abol Campground, according to a press release from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW).
Park authorities said rangers began searching for the pair on Monday after the Keiderlings’ vehicle was found still parked in the day-use parking lot. They began with the Abol and Hunt Trails, both popular routes for summiting Katahdin, and searched the Katahdin Tablelands.
On Tuesday, Baxter State Park rangers expanded the search, assisted by more than 30 game wardens, including the Maine Warden Service Search and Rescue team and Maine Warden Service K9 Team. Maine Forest Service provided aerial support with three helicopters, and the Maine Army National Guard also assisted with Blackhawk and Lakota helicopters fitted with infrared thermal imaging devices.
That afternoon, the K9 team located the body of Tim Keiderling on the Tableland, near the summit, according to park authorities. Teams continued to search the area for Esther, which carried over into today. A team of 25 game wardens, four K9 teams, and 21 rangers announced that at 1:00 p.m., the body of Esther Keiderling was identified in a wooded area of the Tablelands.
GearJunkie reached out for comment but did not immediately hear back. There has been no report on the cause of death or what led the pair to go missing.
Since 1933, 64 people have perished on Mount Katahdin, including two people in 2020. From 1992 to 2014, an average of 34 search and rescue missions had to be launched per year in the park. Hikers consider the summit of Katahdin to be one of the most difficult ascents in the Northeast.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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