A hiker who went missing in Denali National Park over the weekend is OK.
The National Park Service reports that 42-year-old Mukunda Egen was in good condition when located by a search team Sunday night.
Park spokeswoman Kathleen Kelly says Egen, who’s from California and working in the Denali area this summer, was hiking with a friend east of Teklanika campground Friday night, when the pair became separated.
“At about 10:30-11:00 on Friday night, his hiking partner wanted to take a shorter route that was steeper, but he was having issues with his knees and decided he wanted to go around the ridge and take a less-steep route,” Kelly said. “They kept in contact up until about 11:00, but because of the fog rolled in, they lost site of one another.”
Kelly says the partner looked for Egen until early Saturday morning, then made her way back to the campground and alerted the Park Service.
More than 50 people, search dogs and helicopters were involved in the effort.
She says Egen, who did not have adequate clothing or food, was found safe near the headwaters of the Sanctuary River, about 6 miles from where he was last seen.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
