“Sadly, this was a recovery mission,” the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said

A Canadian hiker who vanished during a trip to a mountain range in Washington has been found dead after a nearly two-week search.

The long and complicated search operation for 34-year-old Gursimran Singh — who had been overdue since late June — ended after officials were notified of a sighting on Sunday, July 12, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

As a result, another search and rescue mission was launched the following morning, on Monday, July 13, which included a helicopter rescue team.

“Sadly, this was a recovery mission,” the sheriff’s office said. “Our heartfelt condolences to Gursimran’s family, friends and loved ones during this painful time. We are so sorry for your loss.”

Authorities first asked the public for help on Wednesday, July 1, after Singh failed to return to his home in British Columbia three days earlier.

The hiker’s last known location was South Twin, one of the two predominant peaks that make up the Twin Sisters mountain range in Whatcom County. His vehicle was discovered on Middle Fork Road as rescue units combed the mountainside for the missing man.

By Monday, July 6, officials shared another update about the “large search” effort. The previous weekend, local teams were joined by state partners, such as Seattle Mountain Rescue and Everett Mountain Rescue.

The crew members spent long hours searching the “alpine terrain” where Singh was thought to have been rock scrambling, the sheriff’s office said. A helicopter rescue team also flew team members to South Twin so they could search Sisters Glacier on foot and by drone.

A week later, officials announced that Singh had been found dead.

The news comes after the body of another overdue hiker, Steven Dorsett, was found in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Whatcom County on the afternoon of Saturday, July 11.

“We are deeply grateful to all who contributed time, expertise and resources throughout this mission,” the sheriff’s office said when announcing that Singh’s body had been located.

Source: https://people.com/body-of-34-year-old-hiker-found-after-2-weeks-of-extensive-search-12018874