Remains found of missing hiker

Glacier National Park rangers report they have recovered the body of Jakson Kreiser, the Michigan man who went missing in July.

According to Park officials, hikers notified Park personnel about 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13, that they had found human remains southwest of Hidden Lake.

Park rangers and a Flathead County coroner traveled to the site, and the coroner confirmed that the deceased body was Kreiser. The body was recovered, and an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.

Kreiser, 19, was a seasonal employee with Glacier Park, Inc. and worked at Lake McDonald Lodge. This was his first year working in the area.

The search for Kreiser began July 29 after he was reported missing when he failed to return following a hike on July 28. An extensive ground and aerial search was conducted for eight days before efforts were scaled back as weather deteriorated.

Search personnel included Park employees, North Valley Search and Rescue, Flathead Search and Rescue, Can Am Search and Rescue, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Border Patrol.

The search area was focused between Hidden Lake and Avalanche Lake, and in the Floral Park area. This treacherous country includes rock cliffs, waterfalls, wet and slippery rocks, and dense vegetation.