OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, Wash. — The body of a hiker who was last seen Dec. 22 was recovered Sunday in Olympic National Park.
Searchers, aided by several dog teams, found the body of Port Angeles man James Thomas Griffin in very rugged terrain near the Boulder Creek trailhead in the Elwha Valley.
Griffin, 60, was the subject of an intensive five-day search that began on Christmas Eve.
Griffin's remains were found by a search dog team in a very steep, rugged and densely forested area about a third of mile and nearly 1,000 vertical feet above the trail.
Griffin was last seen by other hikers at Olympic Hot Springs on Dec. 22. He was reported missing on Dec. 24 when he did not arrive at a Christmas Eve dinner as planned.
Griffin's daypack was found on Christmas Day about a half-mile from the trailhead. Despite the five-day search involving over 20 people and several search dog teams, no other clues were located until Sunday.
Griffin's body was transferred to a funeral home late Sunday.
Six dog teams from the all-volunteer group German Shepherd Search Dogs searched on Saturday; two teams searched Sunday.
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