 Northeast Piscataquis, Piscataquis County, Maine – Rangers in Maine’s Baxter State Park are actively searching for a 28-year-old Esther Keiderling of Ulster Park, New York, after she went missing alongside her 58-year-old father, Tim Keiderling, on a hike towards the summit of Mount Katahdin.
The Keiderling’s left the Abol Campground on Sunday, June 1. They were last seen around 10:15am heading towards the summit. Rangers began searching Monday morning after discovering the Keiderling’s vehicle was still in the day-use parking lot. The Abol Trail and the Hunt Trail, including the Katahdin Tablelands, were searched and no sign of the individuals was found.
On Tuesday morning the search was expanded with assistance from over 30 game wardens including the Maine Warden Service Search and Rescue team and the Maine Warden Service K9 team. The Maine Forest Service is searching the area in the air with three helicopters and the Maine Army National Guard responded with a Blackhawk and a Lakota Helicopter with an infrared thermal imaging device.
At approximately 2:45pm today, a Maine Warden Service K9 team located the body of Tim Keiderling on the Tableland near the summit of Katahdin. The search for Esther continues. Anyone who was on or around the summit of Katahdin on Sunday between 10:30am and 2:30 or may otherwise have any information regarding the location of Esther Keiderling is asked to call the Houlton State Police at 207-532-5400.
Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and family of Tim Keiderling at this time.