Father Found Dead, Daughter Still Missing on Katahdin 3 Days After Setting Out for Summit

Update: Sadly, the 2nd missing hiker, Esther Keiderling, was also found dead around 1 p.m. on Wednesday in a wooded area of the Tablelands. No details have emerged regarding the pair’s cause of death. “With heavy hearts, we must share the sorrowful news that, on June 4 at around 1:00 p.m., search teams discovered the body of Esther Keiderling in a wooded area of Katahdin’s Tableland,” said Baxter State Park in a press release. “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Tim and Esther Keiderling’s family and friends.“

A New York man was found dead yesterday near the summit of Katahdin, Maine’s highest peak, while his daughter remains missing.

Tim Keiderling, 58, and his daughter Esther Keiderling, 28, both of Ulster Park, NY, had set out from Abol Campground on Sunday, June 1 to day hike to the summit of Katahdin, but they never returned to their vehicle. They were reportedly last seen on the Tablelands at around 10:15 that morning. 

Baxter State Park authorities began searching for the pair on Monday after discovering that their car had remained in the day-use parking area overnight. The park temporarily closed both the Abol and Hunt trails leading to the summit while rangers actively searched both trails, but they did not find any trace of either hiker.

The search expanded on Tuesday to include over 30 game wardens including the Maine Warden Service Search and Rescue team and the Maine Warden Service K9 team, as well as the Maine Forest Service with three helicopters and the Maine Army National Guard with a Blackhawk and a Lakota helicopter outfitted with an infrared thermal imaging device.

Around 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, a Maine Warden Service K9 search team located the body of Tim Keiderling on the Tableland, a relatively flat area near the summit of Katahdin. Esther remains missing and search efforts for her are ongoing.

Anyone who was on or around the summit of Katahdin this past Sunday between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., or who otherwise has any information regarding the location of Esther Keiderling, is asked to call Houlton State Police at 207-532-5400.

“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 a teams continues the search for Esther,” Baxter State Park said in a press release.

Featured image: Tim and Esther Keiderling pictured in a photo released by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.