Officials suspended the search for outdoors writer Karen Sykes Saturday in Mt. Rainier National Park. This, after locating a body near where she was last seen.
According to NBC, the body has not yet been officially identified. But Sykes’ daughter, Annette Shirley, said park officials had told her the body was her mother’s.
Sykes went missing Wednesday, after failing to rendezvous with her hiking partner. ABC reports the two had split up when Sykes intended to press on to Owyhigh Lakes, above 5,000 feet.
Friends have held out hope since Sykes disappeared, noting she's an experienced hiker and had even instructed climbs in the past.
“In the blink of an eye — you let your guard down for a moment — things can happen to any of us.”
"It's all she's known. She can't wait to get back out there for the next trip." (Via KOMO)
Searchers located the body in difficult terrain near the trail Sykes was on. Ground teams, helicopter crews and rescue dogs searching for Sykes had to deal with heavy cloud cover and rapidly melting snow. KIRO reports one searcher was injured Thursday when he fell through the snow and had to be airlifted out of the area. (Via KVAL)
Officials have not released a cause of death in the case of the unidentified body.
