61-year-old hiker who went missing during California heat wave is found dead, cops say

Update: Hantae Kim’s body was found in a ravine in Whitewater Preserve on July 10, according to a July 11 press release from Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

The original story is below.

On July 5, 61-year-old Hantae Kim set out on the Pacific Crest Trail for a hike. He planned to do only a portion of the 2,650-mile trek, intending to return home to Chula Vista by early morning July 7.

In the initial hours on the trail, Kim sent photos to his family, The Trek reported. He had started off in the San Jacinto Mountains near the Fuller Ridge Trailhead, part of Riverside County east of Los Angeles. In the morning of July 6, he sent one more message. Then, he went quiet.

While Kim was on his hike, Southern California temperatures were in the triple digits, hitting 114 degrees the day he began and hovering around 100 for the weekend.

On July 7, when Kim failed to return home, his family reported him missing. Photos of him and the coordinates he was said to have sent to his family were posted on a PCT Reddit thread. He is 5 foot 8 inches tall and 170 pounds.

According to a July 8 missing persons announcement by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and photos shared by the family, Kim was last seen wearing a gray Columbia windbreaker, a purple shirt, an orange backpack, Columbia shoes, and a gray and blue hat that reads the words “Bryce Canyon.”

“If you have any information on Hantae’s whereabouts, please contact RSO dispatch at 800-950-2444,” the sheriff’s announcement reads.

This story was originally published July 11, 2024 at 11:48 AM with the headline "61-year-old hiker who went missing during California heat wave is found dead, cops say."