UPDATE: Baxter Park Rangers have reported that search teams this afternoon, June 4, discovered the body of Esther Keiderling off the Tablelands, in a wooded area between two known trails.
UPDATE: Searchers are once again scouring the top of Mount Katahdin today, June 4, looking for clues to the location of Esther Keiderling, who had gone missing Sunday while hiking near the summit of Mount Katahdin with her father Tim Keiderling.
From Baxter State Park Rangers:
Crews are already searching Mount Katahdin both on the ground and from the air. Searchers began early this morning with helicopters, and ground searchers began their search at approximately 8:00 a.m. Search efforts will concentrate on the Tablelands and trails and streams that are located on the East side of the Mountain.
Currently there are 25 Game Wardens, 4 game warden K9 teams, and 21 Baxter State Park Rangers searching the Mountain. Maine Forest Service Helicopters and Maine Army Guard Helicopters are also assisting in the search and with transporting crews to the summit. This allows searchers to maximize their time searching high probability areas.
Yesterday, Maine Game Warden Chad Robertson and his K9 Strom located Mr. Keiderling deceased on the Tablelands area of Mount Katahdin. Search Crews immediately repositioned search resources into the area in an attempt to locate Esther. Searchers found no clues yesterday that have lead to the location of Esther.
Yesterday’s search included 25 Maine Game Wardens, 7 K9 teams, 15 Maine Association of Search and Rescue Volunteers (MASAR) and 25 Baxter State Park Rangers for ground search efforts.The Maine Forest Service was essential yesterday with their three helicopters, searching for the missing hikers, and also providing transport services for searchers, ferrying them from the base of Maine’s tallest mountain up to the summit area.
The Maine Army National guard and their helicopters also assisted with the transportation of searchers, and searching trails, streams and the Tablelands from the air.
Last night, Tuesday evening, the Maine Army National Guard utilized a Lokota helicopter equipped with a thermal imaging device (FLIR unit) to search from early evening well into the night with no traces of Esther Keiderling detected.
UPDATE: At approximately 2:45 p.m. today (June 3), 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. This release will be updated when new information becomes available.
Baxter State Park Rangers are leading the search for two missing hikers who were last seen on the Katahdin Tablelands this past Sunday, June 1.
58-year-old Tim Keiderling, and his daughter 28-year-old Esther Keiderling, both of Ulster Park, New York had left Abol Campground on Sunday to hike to the summit of Katahdin. They were last seen at approximately 10:15 a.m. heading towards the summit.
Baxter State Park Rangers began searching yesterday morning (Monday, June 1) after discovering that the Keiderling’s vehicle was still in the day-use parking lot. Baxter Park Rangers actively searched the Abol Trail the Hunt Trail, including the Katahdin Tablelands, and found no sign of the father and daughter. Baxter State Park Rangers expanded their search on Katahdin this morning, assisted by over 30 game wardens including the Maine Warden Service Search and Rescue team and the Maine Warden Service K9 team. The Maine Forest Service is also assisting, searching the area from the air with three helicopters. The Maine Army National Guard also responded with a Blackhawk and a Lakota Helicopter outfitted with an infrared thermal imaging device.
At his point, searchers from the ground and air have not found any traces of the missing hikers. The search will continue through the daylight hours. 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.
Anyone who was on or around the summit of Katahdin Sunday between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., or who otherwise has any information regarding the location of Tim and Esther Keiderling, is asked to call Houlton State Police at 207-532-5400.
Latest Local Central Maine News
