Yahoo News Hiker, 24, Who Went Missing in Yosemite National Park Found Dead, Says Family: 'Irreplaceable'
"While a few further steps remain in the investigation, Hayden's cause of passing is presumed to be an accidental drowning," said Hayden T. Klemenok's sister
GoFundMe
Hayden Klemenok's body was recovered from Yosemite National Park on Sunday, his family said.The body of a 24-year-old backpacker who went missing in Yosemite National Park earlier this month has been recovered, according to his family.
Hayden T. Klemenok was hiking with a group of friends at Upper Chilnualna Fall on July 2 when he entered Chilnualna Creek near a trail junction at around 2 p.m., park officials said in a news release.
The family said they were notified on Sunday that Hayden's body had been found, according to a Facebook post shared by his sister.
"Due to the complexity of his location, it took another 24hrs to formally recover him," the hiker's sister wrote on Tuesday. "While a few further steps remain in the investigation, Hayden's cause of passing is presumed to be an accidental drowning."
GoFundMe
Related: Colorado Woman, 26, Dies After Falling 500 Feet While Free-Solo Climbing at National Park
"We have a long road ahead of us in our grieving as individuals, as a family, and in our new lives without our irreplaceable, unforgettable brother and son whom we cherish and immeasurably miss," she added. “We will never stop loving our Hayden."
Yosemite National Park officials did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Klemenok, a San Diego State University graduate who worked as a financial analyst for Porchlight Realty in North Park, California, vanished during a hike with eight college friends, their fourth yearly trip to Yosemite, according to NBC affiliate KNSD-TV. Per the outlet, the trail is eight miles long with an elevation of 2,400 feet.
In a previous statement, park officials park urged those who may have seen Klemenok or “were hiking off trail in the area of Upper Chilnualna Fall on or after July 2, 2023” to contact them.
A GoFundMe campaign started by Connie Zell, who described herself as "a friend and coworker of Hayden's mother Michelle," has raised over $65,000 for his family as of Wednesday.
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The Park Service website still has a "caution" for Yosemite, advising visitors to "stay back from flowing water!" and warning that "rivers are surprisingly swift, cold, and dangerous."
"Rivers and creeks in Yosemite are at or near flood stage," the alert warned. "Stay out of rivers and creeks. Stay away from rock adjacent to rivers; wet rock is extremely slick. Do not cross bridges that have water flowing over them."
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