Missing hiker found dead after 18-day search at Sequoia National Park

The body of Matthew Thoke was found on Sunday after nearly a three week search at Sequoia and Kings National Parks.
The body of Matthew Thoke was found on Sunday after nearly a three week search at Sequoia and Kings National Parks. Photo credit Sequoia and Kings National Parks

The body of a missing hiker was found on Sunday after nearly a three week search at Sequoia and Kings National Parks.

An extensive multi-agency search commenced on July 21 to find 43-year-old Matthew Thoke, who went missing that afternoon while hiking the park’s High Sierra trail. Thoke split off from his group during a multi-day wilderness trip and disappeared after walking off trail without his pack.

Rangers recovered his body on Sunday at a location hardly visible by both air and ground, but not far from where he was last seen, according to a park press release.

The search proved difficult due to the area’s terrain which featured hazards that made conditions "impassable even for skilled and experienced searchers," the park said.

An NPS ground searcher makes their way through dense brush while searching for Matthew Thoke.
An NPS ground searcher makes their way through dense brush while searching for Matthew Thoke. Photo credit Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park
An NPS ground searcher navigates challenging terrain in the search for Matthew Thoke.
An NPS ground searcher navigates challenging terrain in the search for Matthew Thoke. Photo credit Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

Park officials scaled back their resources about a week ago, but Thoke’s family was able to recruit skilled search teams to continue the efforts.

"We are saddened by this conclusion but are grateful for all the agencies, organizations, friends and family who worked on this effort," Clay Jordan, superintendent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, said. "It often takes a village to bring things to a close. We ask that the public and press continue to respect the family’s privacy in this extremely difficult time."

No other information, including about how Thoke died, was available.

The park thanked all the people and agencies involved with the search, including friends and family of Thoke, Tulare, Fresno, Los Angeles, and Alameda County Sherriff’s Offices, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Pinnacles National Parks, Sierra Madre Mountain Rescue, the Bakersfield Police Department, California National Guard, California Office of Emergency Services, and the US Forest Service.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Sequoia and Kings National Parks