Body Of Newport Beach Hiker Matt Thoke Recovered In Sequoia National Park
SEQUOIA AND KINGS NATIONAL PARK (CBSLA) — The body of a Newport Beach man who went missing in Sequoia National Park has been found and recovered by National Park Service rangers.
Matt Thoke, 43, was last seen July 21 splitting from his group during a multi-day wilderness trip and leaving the High Sierra Trail. Trained searchers assisting the Thoke family found him Saturday, and his body was recovered Sunday.
According to the National Park Service, Thoke was found in a location that was not visible by air and hardly visible on the ground. The location was also not far from where Thoke was last seen, in technical terrain, officials said.
"We are saddened by this conclusion but grateful for all the agencies, organizations, friends, and family who worked on this effort," Clay Jordan, superintendent of Sequoia and Kings National Parks, said in a statement. "It often takes a village to bring things to a close."
An extensive multi-agency search was launched on the day Thoke went missing, but it was scaled back on Aug. 2. The Thoke family recruited skilled search teams to continue the effort in coordination with National Park Service incident managers.