Missing hiker found dead on Sauk Mountain trail

A hiker missing on Skagit County’s Sauk Mountain trail has been found dead.

Authorities say 78-year-old Peter Kalapaca of Edmonds was reported missing Thursday.

The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office closed the trail to search the steep mountainside, using helicopters and police dogs.

A helicopter crew spotted the man’s body, in an area inaccessible to ground crews Friday night.

“Sadly, he was not moving and was deceased when found,” the sheriff’s office reported in a released statement.  “Search and rescue teams were subsequently removed from the mountain as efforts shifted towards recovery.”

Due to the remote location, a North Cascades National Park helicopter conducted a technical operation to recover the body.

A Facebook post by a family member says the man had separated from a group with which he was hiking.

The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement:

At this time, all recovery efforts are complete, and the Sauk Mountain Trail has been reopened.  The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank each of the search and rescue teams, air resources, mountain rescue personnel, and partner agencies who assisted in this operation.  We also extend our deepest condolences to the Kalapaca family and loved ones.  While nothing can lessen the loss of a loved one, we are grateful for the extraordinary effort made by everyone involved, which allows some measure of closure for the family.”