Body of missing hiker found in Olympic National Park thanks to crucial clue

A 26-year-old hiker whose disappearance in Washington state's Olympic National Park sparked a multi-day search effort has been found dead.

Searchers located Neil Gehring on the northwest slope of Mount Appleton after receiving and analyzing additional cellphone location data, according to the National Park Service. His body was recovered by search-and-rescue teams on Sunday evening, and he was taken to the Clallam County Coroner's Office at about 8 p.m. on September 13.

Gehring had set out on a backcountry trek on August 31 from the Madison Falls Trailhead, planning to make a cross-country trip from Boulder Lake to Appleton Pass before returning to the trailhead on September 1. However, he failed to return on schedule, prompting an immediate search effort after he was reported overdue at 6:30 a.m. on September 1.

For the next 10 days, teams searched his expected route from the air and ground, using drones and dogs as part of the effort. However, the searches failed to locate Gehring, prompting a change in tactics on September 11, when teams began focusing on finding new clues that could help narrow the search.

Olympic National Park officials expressed gratitude to the search-and-rescue teams that volunteered to help with the effort. No additional information was available regarding the circumstances of Gehring's death.