An Oregon man was found dead on an Alaskan trail just hours after calling for help. Heath Didier, 49, became lost while hiking on the Deer Mountain Trail in Ketchikan, Alaska, on Sunday night and contacted emergency services to report his dire circumstances. “He reported that he was lost, cold, and not equipped with water, food, proper clothing, or other survival gear,” officials said. The Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad began searching on foot for Didier at 9:37 p.m. but was unable to locate him. Authorities last heard from the hiker at 10:24 p.m. The rescue team found his body the next morning after dispatching a helicopter to his last known location. “An adult male believed to be Didier was found deceased, partially submerged in water at the bottom of a cliff,” Alaska State Troopers said. The team was unable to retrieve the body safely on Monday but planned to return on Tuesday; it is unclear if they have since been able to recover it. The hiker’s cause of death has not been disclosed. The trail Didier attempted is known as the “most difficult” in the region, and authorities warn that the weather on Deer Mountain is “unpredictable and may change rapidly.”
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