35-year-old hiker on solo trip in Washington national park vanishes, officials say
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A hiker who left for a hiking trip days ago has vanished, Washington officials say.
Olympic National Park officials said Laura Mack, 35, left on Sunday, Oct. 30 for a solo hiking trip. She was reported missing early Wednesday, Nov. 2 when she did not return.
Macke had a backcountry permit for Oct. 30-Oct. 31, and she planned to stop to camp at Pyrites Creek while hiking to the Enchanted Valley, officials said in a Thursday, Nov. 3 news release. She indicated that she would be in the backcountry until Nov. 1 but never returned.
Park officials said search and rescue personnel began a search on Thursday hiking into the park to locate Macke. A United States Coast Guard helicopter aided the search, but efforts were impeded by bad weather.
Storms remained in the area on Friday, Nov. 4, but 20 search and rescue personnel continued searching main and side trails, one of Macke’s family members wrote in a Facebook post. Drones with infrared capabilities will also be provided to aid the search.
A flood warning was issued for the area around 4 a.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The warning will stay in effect through the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 5.
Macke is described as being 5-feet, 6-inches tall, weighing about 200 pounds, park officials say. She has brown hair in a bob cut, and she is known to hike in a black-and-white striped shirt with a black rain jacket and maroon puffy coat.
Officials are asking that anyone in the Lake Quinault, Graves Creek, or Enchanted Valley area between Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 who may have information about Macke call or text the tip line at 1-888-653-0009 or submit a tip online at go.nps.gov/SubmitATip.
This story was originally published November 4, 2022 at 2:52 PM with the headline "35-year-old hiker on solo trip in Washington national park vanishes, officials say."
