Latest news with #BaxterStatePark
Fox News
4 days ago
- Climate
- Fox News
Second missing hiker found dead in Maine as authorities conclude massive search operation
A second hiker who had been missing since Sunday was found dead in Maine on Wednesday, according to Baxter State Park officials. Tim Keiderling, 58, and his daughter Esther Keiderling, 28, both of Ulster Park, New York, left the Abol Campground on Sunday morning to hike to the summit of the mile-high Mount Katahdin. They were last seen alive around 10:15 a.m. that day. Their family became worried for their safety after they could not contact the pair on Sunday night, according to The Bangor Daily News. "With heavy hearts, we must share the sorrowful news that, on June 4 at around 1:00 p.m., search teams discovered the body of Esther Keiderling in a wooded area of Katahdin's Tableland," the officials said in a Wednesday Facebook post. "We understand that many of our social media followers share in our profound sadness for the family and friends of Tim and Esther Keiderling," the post continued. "We appreciate your support for their loved ones and the members of the search teams during this incredibly difficult time." Tim Keiderling's body was recovered Tuesday in the Tablelands area of Katahdin, according to Baxter State Park officials. "No one has had a brother like mine," his brother, Joe Keiderling, said in a statement to WMTW-TV after his body was found. "Tim lived exuberantly. He loved life, loved people, loved God. He was a storyteller like no one I've known with a rich sense of humor." The park officials offered condolences to the Keiderling family and their friends. After park authorities found their car still parked in a day-lot on Monday morning, an all-out search was launched. A team of 25 Maine Game Wardens, four Maine Game Warden K9 teams, 21 Baxter State Park Rangers, Maine Association for Search and Rescue members and Maine Search and Rescue Dogs teams, along with Maine Forest Service Helicopters and Maine Army National Guard Helicopters were deployed as part of the search. Baxter State Park Director Kevin Adam said the weather conditions on Sunday, when the pair went missing, were "freezing rain, fog, and some snow," according to The Bangor Daily News. Fox News Digital reached out to Baxter State Park officials.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Searchers find father's body near top of Katahdin
Jun. 3—A Maine Warden Service K-9 team found the body of a 58-year-old New York man near the summit of Katahdin on Tuesday, two days after he and his daughter went missing while hiking the 5,267-foot peak in Baxter State Park. Tim Keiderling's body was found in the Katahdin Tablelands at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday. The search for his daughter, Esther Keiderling, 28, continues. Park officials say the Keiderlings, both of Ulster Park, New York, left Abol Campground on Sunday morning to hike up Katahdin. They were last seen around 10:15 a.m. that day as they headed toward the summit. Rangers began searching for the pair Monday morning after finding their vehicle in a day-use parking lot. They searched the Abol Trail, the Hunt Trail and the Katahdin Tablelands, a level area near the summit, officials said. Searchers found no signs of the pair and on Tuesday expanded the search to include helicopters, more than 30 game wardens and K-9 teams. The Hunt and Abol trails on Katahdin are closed while the search is ongoing. The Maine Forest Service is assisting in the search with three helicopters. The Maine Army National Guard responded with a Blackhawk and a Lakota helicopter equipped with an infrared thermal imaging device. The Abol Trail, a popular but challenging hike with 3,982 feet in elevation gain, is the shortest route to Baxter Peak from a roadside trailhead. The trail used to include the prominent Abol Slide but was relocated in 2015 after soil and rock movement increased hazards for hikers. The relocated trail uses the ridge west of the slide. The rocky terrain requires hikers to climb over large boulders. Forecasts for Sunday by the National Weather Service in Caribou called for scattered showers at Katahdin's summit with winds peaking at 30-40 mph and low temperatures in the mid-30s. The low temperature was expected to hit the mid-30s again on Monday night, when scattered showers were also predicted. A representative at the Caribou Office on Tuesday said the agency only provides forecasts for the summit and doesn't track temperatures and wind speeds. Nearby Millinocket, which is roughly 350 feet above sea level, saw a low of 36 degrees Monday night. Temperatures were likely much colder on Katahdin's summit, nearly 5,000 feet higher. In a blog post shared to Substack on Saturday, Esther Keiderling wrote that she and her father planned a sales trip around a weekend so they could hike Katahdin. In other posts, she talked about working with her father at Rifton Equipment, where she is a customer service representative, and documented a recent trip they took to Niagara Falls. In her most recent post, Esther Keiderling said she and her father planned to start hiking up the Abol Trail between 6-7 a.m. Sunday if it wasn't pouring rain. "I'm a little nervous about everything I've seen about the Abol trail but I'm going to do it if weather permits!" she wrote. "If you don't see me back on Substack notes again, that's where I am." The search for Esther Keiderling will continue through daylight hours. Volunteer searchers are not needed, park officials said. Anyone who was on or around the Katahdin summit on Sunday between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. or has any information about the Keiderlings is asked to call state police in Houlton at 207-532-5400. Staff Writer Drew Johnson contributed to this report. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Father and daughter's hike up Maine's tallest mountain ends in tragedy
A father-daughter hike up Maine 's tallest mountain ended in tragedy when the father was found dead on Tuesday. Tim Keiderling, 58, and Esther Keiderling, 28, of Ulster Park, New York, set off Sunday morning to hike Mount Katahdan - with Esther writing on her personal Substack that they had planed to start their voyage to the summit between 6am and 7am, WMTW reports. 'I'm a little nervous after everything I've read about the Abol trail, but I'm going to do it if weather permits!' she wrote of the trail which Baxter State Park describes as a 'very strenuous climb.' 'If you don't see me back on Substack notes again, that's where I am,' wrote Esther, whose bio says she is a customer service representative for Rifton Equipment - a New York-based company that makes adaptive medical equipment. The father-and-daughter team were last seen at around 10.15am in the Trailheads region of the mountain, but their family became concerned when they still had not heard from them Sunday night, Bangor Daily News reports. Family members noted that they were both experienced hikers, and had previously hiked the Adirondacks. Park Rangers then started searching for the duo on Monday, when they found Tim and Esther's car parked in a lot for daily use. Search efforts then widened on Tuesday, leading to a K9 team discovering Tim's body near the summit at around 2.45pm, park rangers announced on social media. 'We know that many of our social media followers share in our deep sadness for the family and friends of Tim Keiderling and appreciate your support as teams continue the search for Esther,' park rangers wrote. Tim is now being remembered on social media as a loving father and grandfather, who shared great stories and taught others how to be beekeeper. 'No one has a brother like mine,' his brother Joe said in a statement to Maine's Total Coverage. 'Tim lived exuberantly. He loved life, loved people, loved God. He was a storyteller like no one I've known with a rich sense of humor. 'He left us far too soon,' Joe continued. 'My heart is broken for his wife and children.' He further told Bangor Daily News that Tim 'was a father, brother, husband [and] grandfather who loved life, loved people, loved God.' 'Our family is so grateful to the park rangers, state police, all the interagency first responders who searched for my brother,' Joe continued. 'They have our prayers as they continue to search for Esther.' A tribute on social media from Bruderhof Communities, a communal Anabaptist Christian movement, also said Tim 'loved Jesus and is now in eternity with Him. 'We continue to pray for Esther and hope she is found soon,' it added. One person who commented on the post said Tim and his wife, Annemarie, were her teachers, and their other daughter, Katherine, was her best friend. 'I have many great memories with them,' she wrote. 'Back when Tim was the community bee keeper at Woodcrest - I got to put on the beekeeper suite myself and work alongside him; it was one of the greatest honors. I'm so sorry and praying for their family and the community. He was a great person, father and teacher.'
