Bodies of missing daughter, father found after hike on Maine's tallest mountain
Tim and Esther Keiderling of Ulster Park, New York, were last seen on Sunday morning as they left Abol Campground in Baxter State Park and headed toward the summit of Mount Katahdin, officials said.
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BAXTER STATE PARK, Maine – Authorities have found the body of a missing woman, one day after the body of her father was found. The two had disappeared during a hike on Mount Katadin, the tallest mountain in Maine.
The body of Esther Keiderling, 28, was found on Wednesday afternoon in a boulder area between the Cathedral and Saddle Trails off the Katahdin Tablelands, according to Baxter State Park officials.
About 1,000 feet away near the summit of Mount Katahdin, the body of her father, 58-year-old Tim Keiderling, was located on Tuesday.
Esther Keiderling and Tim Keiderling.
(Baxter State Park / FOX Weather)
"Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Tim and Esther Keiderling’s family and friends," park officials said in a statement.
Tim and Esther Keiderling of Ulster Park, New York, were last seen on Sunday morning as they left Abol Campground in Baxter State Park and headed toward the summit of Mount Katahdin, officials said.
When park rangers noticed the Keiderlings’ vehicle still parked in the day-use parking lot the following morning, they began their search for the father and daughter.
The search team expanded the next morning to include game wardens with the Maine Warden Service Search and Rescue team and the K9 unit of the Maine Warden Service, helicopters from the Maine Forest Service and aircraft assistance from the Maine Army National Guard.
View of Mount Katahdin from Abol Bridge.
(New England Water Science Center / USGS / FOX Weather)
Baxter State Park officials closed the Abol and Hunt Trails on Mount Katahdin to help with the search.
The hike up Mount Katahdin is considered a "very strenuous" climb, park officials said. The hike takes 8-12 hours and involves an elevation gain of around 4,000 feet.
Despite the challenging nature of the climb, many hikers partake in hiking to Katahdin due to its natural beauty. The summit is also the northern end of the Appalachian Trail.