Tim and Esther Keiderling were last seen heading to Mount Katahdin in Maine on June 1. Tim’s body was found on Tuesday, June 3
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NEED TO KNOW
- The body of 58-year-old Tim Keiderling, who went missing along with his daughter Esther, 28, on June 1 after hiking together in Maine, has been found
- The pair was last seen heading to Mount Katahdin for their Appalachian trail hike at around 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, according to authorities. They announced that they had located Tim’s body on Tuesday, June 3
- Search and rescue teams are continuing their hunt for Esther
The body of a man who went missing alongside his daughter after the pair set out on an Appalachian trail hike together has been found.
On Tuesday, June 3, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife announced that Tim Keiderling, 58, and his daughter Esther, 28, were missing. They had last been seen leaving Abol Campground to hike Mount Katahdin in Maine at around 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 1.
In an update posted on Facebook several hours later on Tuesday, rangers at Baxter State Park confirmed that the body of a man positively identified as Tim had been found in their search, but they were continuing the hunt for Esther.
“At approximately 2:45 p.m. today, a Maine Warden Service K9 search team located the body of Tim Keiderling on the Tableland, near the summit of Katahdin. Search efforts continue for Esther Keiderling,” they wrote.
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Baxter State Park said in a statement, “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.”
According to the park’s website, the hike up Katahdin is “a very strenuous climb, no matter which trailhead you choose.” The round-trip time is noted to take on average eight to 12 hours.
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Before locating Tim’s body, the search had expanded to include the Warden Service K9 and Maine Forest Service helicopters. The Maine Forest Service and the Maine Army National Guard, who use Blackhawk and Lakota Helicopters, were also assisting by searching in the air.
Rangers began searching for them Monday morning after Tim’s vehicle was found in the day-use parking lot, park officials said.
“At this point, searchers from the ground and air have not found any traces of the missing hikers. The search will continue through the daylight hours,” the park said initially. “Baxter State Park has closed the Hunt and Abol Trails on Katahdin in order to assist with the search. At this time, volunteer searchers are not needed.”
Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding Esther or anyone who was on or around the summit of Katahdin Sunday between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., to call Houlton State Police at 207-532-5400.
