Hiker missing near North Bend found dead

A hiker missing for four days in the Snoqualmie National
Forest has been found dead near the Green Mountain area.

The 50-year-old man, John Wright of University Place, is
believed to
have fallen down a cliff.

“It appears as though he fell from a few hundred feet and
he probably died instantly,” said Sgt. Cindi West with the
King County Sheriff’s Office.

West said the fall is believed to have been accidental,
and it’s not clear if he tripped or if the ground gave out
underneath him.

Wright, described as an avid hiker, was reported
missing on
Friday when he failed to pick up his daughter, and teams
found his car near the middle fork of the Snoqualmie
River.

A hiker who saw him on Friday told the King County
Sheriff’s
Office that Wright was headed into the Green Mountain
area.
Searchers found a single set of footprints in the snow
Sunday that could have been his.

West says about 50 people were out looking for him
Monday, including a dozen on horseback. A helicopter from
the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office aided in the
search.

Wright’s body is expected to be evacuated via helicopter.

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in a larger map

The Associated Press contributed to this story.