Neil Gehring was reported missing on Sept. 2
Credit: Courtesy of the National Park Service
NEED TO KNOW
- Neil Gehring, 26, was reported missing after failing to return from an off-trail hike at Olympic National Park in Washington
- Gehring is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs about 130 lbs., with short black hair, a slender build, and brown eyes, according to a missing-person poster from the National Park Service
- “Anyone who was in the area or has information that may assist the search is asked to call … 888-653-0009 or email [email protected],” the agency requested
Search efforts are underway for a man who failed to return from a planned, one-day “traverse” off of park trails.
The National Park Service (NPS) is searching for missing hiker Neil Gehring after he did not make it to the endpoint of a planned off-trail excursion at Olympic National Park in Washington, the federal agency announced in a news release on Thursday, Sept. 3.
Gehring, 26, left the Madison Falls Trailhead in Olympic National Park on Monday, Aug. 31, and was meant to return there the following day, according to the NPS.
Credit: Courtesy of the National Park Service
He “intended to make a cross-country traverse from Boulder Lake to Appleton Pass, returning to the Madison Falls Trailhead” on Tuesday, Sept. 1, the NPS said, citing Gehring’s backcountry permit.
The hiker was “reported overdue” at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2, the day after he was supposed to return from the off-trail excursion.
“Search efforts began immediately after notification,” the NPS said.
According to a missing-person poster shared by the agency, Gehring is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs about 130 lbs., with short black hair, a slender build and brown eyes.
One photo shared by the agency shows Gehring smiling and wearing what appears to be a quarter-zip fleece. Another shows him sporting gray athletic wear, a baseball cap and sunglasses, smiling with a mountain view in the background.
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The NPS is seeking any information about the missing hiker.
“Anyone who was in the area or has information that may assist the search is asked to call the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009 or email OLYM_Tips@cloud.doi.gov,” the agency requested.
Credit: Courtesy of the National Park Service
Reached by PEOPLE on Sunday, Sept. 6, an NPS spokesperson said in a statement, “At this time, all available information is posted on our website.”
PEOPLE has also reached out to Olympic National Park for updates.
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