Missing hiker from Olympia has been found, Olympic National Park says
A hiker from Olympia who went missing in Olympic National Park on Wednesday was found Sunday morning, the park announced about noon on Twitter.
“Cheri Keller has been located and search and rescue teams are working to bring her out of the park by helicopter and reunite her with her family,” the tweet reads. “More information will be available this afternoon.”
Keller, 56, was found at 11 a.m. Sunday, the National Park Service announced in updated information.
A King County Sheriff’s Office Guardian II helicopter spotted Keller off trail in a basin to the east of Mt. Steel, according to the park service. The helicopter was able to land and transport her to Sanderson Field Airport in Shelton. From there, Keller was transported in stable condition by ambulance to Mason County Hospital.
Keller was last seen by her backpacking group around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday near Home Sweet Home camp in the southeastern region of the park, the National Park Service said in a news release.
According to the release, Keller’s hiking group lost sight of her after leaving Home Sweet Home camp for Camp Pleasant. Although only intended as a lunch stop, their stay at Camp Pleasant extended throughout the night as they waited for Keller.
The next day, two group members hiked to Staircase campground and reported Keller missing around 10 a.m. The remaining group members searched for her but could not find her.
Search and rescue personnel began their search Thursday.
This story was originally published August 8, 2021 at 1:13 PM.
