Local News

Second hiker found dead in Maine day after father’s body found

Ester Keiderling, 28, and Tim Keiderling, 58, left Abol Campground on Sunday morning to hike to the summit of Mount Katahdin, officials said.

Tim Keiderling, 58, and Ester Keiderling, 28, left Abol Campground on Sunday morning to hike to the summit of Mount Katahdin, officials said. Baxter State Park Rangers

By Dialynn Dwyer

June 4, 2025

1 minute to read

The body of a hiker who went missing on a Maine mountain was found Wednesday afternoon, a day after her father’s remains were located.

Ester Keiderling, 28, of Ulster Park, New York, was found around 1 p.m. on Mount Katahdin’s Tableland, Baxter State Park officials announced. Her father, 58-year-old Tim Keiderling, also of Ulster Park, was recovered in the Tablelands area on Tuesday afternoon by a Maine game warden K9 unit.

“We understand that many of our social media followers share in our profound sadness for the family and friends of Tim and Esther Keiderling,” officials wrote on Facebook Wednesday. “We appreciate your support for their loved ones and the members of the search teams during this incredibly difficult time.”

Park rangers began searching for the father and daughter Monday morning after finding their car was still in the day-use parking lot. The pair left Abol Campground on Sunday morning to hike to the summit and were last observed around 10:15 a.m. on the Katahdin Tablelands, Baxter State Park officials said.

Rangers found no sign of the father and daughter on Monday, and the search resumed Tuesday, expanding to include the assistance of more than 30 game wardens from the search and rescue and K9 teams and three helicopters from the Maine Forest Service. The Maine Army National Guard also responded with a Blackhawk helicopter to search using infrared imaging.

Tim Keiderling was found Tuesday around 2:45 p.m., but officials said searchers had found “no clues” in locating his daughter.

On Wednesday, dozens of rescuers continued to scour the top of Mount Katahdin, searching for Ester Keiderling on the Tablelands and the trails and streams located on the east side of the mountain.

“Searchers began early this morning with helicopters, and ground searchers began their search at approximately 8:00 a.m,” officials said.

Ultimately, the 28-year-old’s body was found in a “wooded area” of the Tableland, between two known trails, officials said.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Tim and Esther Keiderling’s family and friends,” officials said.