CONCRETE, Wash. — Search and rescue crews have recovered the body of a 78-year-old hiker who was reported missing from the Sauk Mountain Trail in Skagit County earlier this week.
The sheriff’s office said Peter Kalapaca was last seen on Sept. 17 around 12:30 p.m. near the top of the Sauk Mountain Trail in Concrete.
While crews were looking for him on Sept. 18, they eventually located Kalapaca in “steep terrain that was inaccessible to ground teams.”
The sheriff’s office reported that at that time, he was not moving and was declared deceased when crews reached him.
Due to the difficult terrain, a technical recovery operation using a helicopter from North Cascades National Park was initiated to recover Kalapaca.
“The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank each of the Search and Rescue teams that assisted in this rescue. Additionally, we extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Kalapaca’s family and loved ones. While nothing can lessen the loss of a loved one, we are grateful for the extraordinary effort that allowed some measure of closure for the family,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
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