Father dead, daughter still missing after hike on Maine’s tallest mountain
The hike up Mount Katahdin is considered a “very strenuous" climb, Baxter State Park officials said. The hike takes 8-12 hours and involves an elevation gain of around 4,000 feet.
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BAXTER STATE PARK, Maine – The body of a missing man was found on Tuesday, after he and his daughter disappeared while hiking Mount Katahdin, the tallest mountain in Maine.
A K9 search team with the Maine Warden Service discovered the body of Tim Keiderling, 58, on Tuesday afternoon at about 2:45 p.m. near the summit of Mount Katahdin on the Katahdin Tableland.
Keiderling and daughter Esther Keiderling, 28, 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.
Esther Keiderling and Tim Keiderling.
(Baxter State Park / FOX Weather)
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.
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The search team expanded the next morning to include 30 game wardens with the Maine Warden Service Search and Rescue team and the K9 unit of the Maine Warden Service, three 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.
Park officials ask anyone who was on or around the summit of Mount Katahdin on Sunday between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., or those with information about the whereabouts of Tim and Esther Keiderling, to please call Houlton State Police at 207-532-5400.
No matter which trailhead hikers select, 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.