Missing Father Found on Maine’s Katahdin, Search Still on for Daughter

According to an article from WGME 13, Baxter State Park officials say the body of a missing hiker has been recovered near the summit of Mount Katahdin.

According to the park, a Maine Warden Service K-9 team located Tim Keiderling, 58 of Ulster Park, New York, on the Tableland area of Katahdin around 2:45 Tuesday afternoon.

Rangers say Tim and Esther Keiderling set out from Abol Campground on Sunday, aiming to reach the summit of Katahdin. They were last spotted around 10:15 that morning, continuing up the trail, the news station reported.

When their vehicle was still sitting in the day-use lot the next day, rangers launched a search Monday morning. Crews combed the Abol and Hunt Trails, including the Tablelands area near the summit, but found no immediate sign of the father and daughter.

The search efforts ramped up on Tuesday, with multiple agencies joining in. WGME reported that park rangers were assisted by the Maine Warden Service and the Maine Forest Service, which deployed three helicopters to scan the area from the sky.

The Maine Army National Guard also responded, bringing in both a Blackhawk and a Lakota helicopter which has an infrared thermal imaging camera to help locate any signs of the missing hiker.

Crews are still actively searching for his daughter, 28-year-old Esther Keiderling, who was hiking with him. The two were last seen heading toward Katahdin’s summit.

WGME added that Maine officials are asking for the public’s help. Anyone who was on or near the summit of Katahdin between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, or who may have any information about Esther Keiderling’s whereabouts, is urged to contact Maine State Police at (207) 532-5400.