Click Link to view more Hiking Disappearances, Rescues and Fatalities for January 2022 >LINK<
In November 2020, Esther Dingley was a 37 year old British woman who went on a 3 day hiking trip alone in the Pyrenees mountains, near the border of France and Spain. When she failed to return, her family reported her missing. She never came back. Her body was found at the bottom of a cliff, by her partner, who carried out an intensive search to find her. The cause of her fall was accidental: the result of wearing worn out boots that caused her to slip and fall off a cliff.
As I’ve mentioned before in previous posts, hiking solo is a risk. If you get lost, injured, or sick there is no one there to help you. Electronic devices may not work in remote areas. This leaves you helpless. And even if you contacted help and got through, it may take hours for them to reach you. In that space of time, you’re situation becomes deadly.
Solo Hikers Go Missing On The Trail
This story appeared in the media on Monday, September 5, 2021. A 34 year old hiker from Virginia was found dead in Glacier National Park, while on a solo hiking trip. Her family reported her misssing when they hadn’t heard from her for several days.
Park officials believe that Jennifer Coleman of Richmond, Virginia, may have been hiking at Highline Trail, or Dragon’s Tail, a dangerous ridge located within Logan Pass. There are reports that another hiker died after falling 500 feet from Dragon’s Tail in 2020.
The depth of grief when losing a child can make a parent very sick, or possibly kill them,
because the stress of living with this event feels like a weight sitting and
pressing down on your heart. The only fortunate aspect of this story is that her family
had closure, which in many missing persons cases, there is none.
Searcher’s Find Hiker’s Body In Glacier National Park,
Virginia Hiker Not Heard From In Nearly A Week Found Dead In Glacier National Park.
Solo Hikers Go Missing On The Trail
Solo Hikers Lost In the North Cascades
In August 2018 Samantha Sayers 27, never returned from her solo hike up Vesper Peak in the North Cascades, near Seattle, Washington. After an 8,000 hour search, not a trace of her showed up. To date, her family has no closure about what happened to her.
Esther Dingley, 37 went missing while solo hiking near the border of Spain and France, in the Pyrenees mountains. She started her hike on November 22, 2020, and was expected to return within 3 days. Partial remains were recently discovered, and tested positive for her DNA, giving her family closure, but no explanation as to how she died. The search continues for her equipment.
Both women had concerned family, and devoted companions who searched the mountains looking for clues to their whereabouts.
Hiking Accident Prevention: 7 Risks Of Solo Hiking
Hiking Accident Prevention: Know Before You Go Trip Planning
Hiking Accident Prevention: Solo Hikers Go Missing On The Trail
Disappearing On The Hiking Trail
Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 23 years experience teaching exercise in New York City. Visit the About page to read her bio.
CNN.com – July 30, 2021 – Bone confirmed to be remains of missing British hiker Esther Dingley, By James Briggs
AZCentral.com July 10, 2019 – Arizona searchers find remains of hiker who dialed for help in February, By Shaq Davis Arizona Daily Star
9NEWS.com – 3/15/19 –Search Efforts Suspended For Missing Tennessee Man In Rocky Mountain National Park, By Janet Oravetz
NYTimes.com (The New York Times) 3/26/19 – Geraldine Largay’s Wrong Turn: Death On The Appalachian Trail, By Jess Bidgood and
Adirondack Daily Enterprise.com – 3/7/16 – Hiker who died in High Peaks was experienced, but ill prepared
Herald.net 9/14/18 The 8,000-hour search to #find sam sayers on vesper peak, By Caleb Hutton
Times-Union.com – 3/18/16 –Hiker, Hua Davis’ Death A Tragedy That Didn’t Have To Happen, By Herb Terns
HeraldSun.com 10/22/19 Rescuers reach remote Cascades cabin but don’t find missing hiker, Washington cops say, By Jaret Gilmour
Asheville Citizen-Times, October 4, 2018 – Staying safe in the outdoors: Hiking death in Great Smokies a reminder of forest dangers, By Karen Chavez
EPTrail.com (Estes Park, Colorado) May 12, 2019 Three missing hikers in six months is unprecedented for RMNP search and rescue operations, By Tyler Pialet (RMNP: Rocky Mountain National Park)
CNN.com October 26, 2020 Search resumes for university professor who went missing after hiking in Mount Rainier National Park, By Harmeet Kaur and Andy Rose
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Trip Planning Resources For Hikers and Backpackers
Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 23 years experience teaching exercise in New York City. Visit the About page to read her bio.
Irene Pastore Fitness.com 