One of 3 Who Went Missing in National Park Is Found Dead

Body of 28-year-old Matthew Bunker located Monday night in Mount Rainier NP
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 30, 2020 8:27 AM CDT
One of 3 Who Went Missing in National Park Has Been Found
Matthew Bunker.   (National Park Service)

There's been a grim development in the search for three hikers who went missing separately in Mount Rainier National Park: USA Today reports that park rangers aboard a helicopter located the body Monday night of 28-year-old Matthew Bunker, who'd disappeared while skiing with a partner on Friday. Per a National Park Service release, Bunker's body was spotted in a crevasse along the base of Liberty Ridge. "Unknown events caused his fall in steep, treacherous terrain," the release notes.

Sadly, Bunker's body is located in an area that neither ground nor air teams can reach, as falling rocks and ice would make such a rescue too perilous. "We extend our deepest condolences to Matthew's loved ones and friends," a park rep says in the release. "It brings us a great degree of sorrow to be unable to bring him home to his family." Ground searches continue for 25-year-old Vincent Djie, who disappeared June 19, and Talal Sabbagh, 27, who was last seen in the park on June 21. The NPS isn't asking for the public's help in those searches, as dangerous conditions in the park would "potentially [create] new incidents." (More hikers stories.)

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