Missing Daughter Found Dead on Hike a Day After Dad's Body Was Located Near Mountain Summit: Authorities
The bodies of a father and daughter who went hiking in Maine days ago have now been recovered
Esther Keiderling, 28, and her father Tim, 58, were last seen on Sunday, June 1
Tim was found dead on Tuesday, June 3 — and his daughter's body was found the next dayThe body of a daughter who went missing along with her father after they set off on an Appalachian trail hike together has been located.
Esther Keiderling, 28, and her father Tim, 58 were declared missing on Tuesday, June 3. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said the pair were last seen around 10:15 a.m. local time on Sunday, June 1, when they set out from Abol Campground to hike Mount Katahdin.
A few hours later on June 3, authorities announced in a statement that a Maine Warden Service K9 search team found Tim's body near the summit of the mountain, but that his daughter remained missing.
The next day, they updated the statement with a grim announcement that searchers had found Esther's body.
'It is with deep regret that we share the news that today, at approximately 1:00 p.m. (June 4), search teams discovered the body of Esther Keiderling off the Tablelands, in a wooded area between two known trails,' authorities wrote, sharing that additional details would be provided later, after searchers returned to the base of the mountain.
The father and daughter were both from Ulster Park, N.Y., according to authorities.
Baxter State Park Rangers launched a search for the Keiderlings after their car was found still parked at the trailhead on the morning of Monday, June 2.
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The Baxter State Park website describes the Katahdin trail as a 'very strenuous climb, no matter which trailhead you choose,' noting that it can take an average of eight to 12 hours to hike round-trip.
In addition to the rangers, the search expanded to include other rescue personnel like game wardens, K9 teams, helicopters from the Maine Forest Service, and the Maine Association of Search and Rescue Volunteers.
'The Maine Army National Guard and their helicopters also assisted with the transportation of searchers, and searching trails, streams and the Tablelands from the air,' officials said.
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