A father and daughter from New York who went missing while hiking Mount Katahdin, Maine, over the weekend have been found dead, according to Baxter State Park officials. Tim Keiderling, 58, and his daughter Esther Keiderling, 28, both of Ulster Park, New York, were last seen around 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, as they made their way toward the summit from Abol Campground in Baxter State Park, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said in a press release.
When the pair failed to return by nightfall, the family alerted local authorities. Park officials discovered their vehicle still parked in a day-use lot the following morning and search operations began immediately. Initial efforts focused on the Abol and Hunt Trails—including the Katahdin Tablelands—where the hikers were last seen. With no trace of the Keiderlings after a full day of searching, authorities expanded the operation Tuesday morning, June 2, deploying over 30 game wardens along with specialized teams and aerial support.
Search teams included the Maine Warden Service Search and Rescue team, the Warden Service K9 unit, and aircraft from the Maine Forest Service and the Maine Army National Guard. Two military helicopters—a Blackhawk and a Lakota equipped with thermal imaging—were also used in the extensive search. “Baxter State Park Rangers are leading the search for two missing hikers,” the department stated in its June 2 release, noting that the trails had been closed to the public and that volunteer searchers were not being requested, however, officials had appealed to anyone who was near the summit between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday to contact authorities with information.
On Tuesday, June 3, at approximately 2:45 p.m., a Maine Warden Service K9 search team located the body of Tim Keiderling on the Tableland, near the summit of Katahdin. However, Esther Keiderling was not found and the search for her continued into the evening.
Mount Katahdin, the tallest peak in Maine at 5,267 feet, is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and is known for its rugged terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions. The incident marks a somber reminder of the potential dangers of high-altitude hiking, even during summer months.
