DENALI NATIONAL PARK, AK: The search for missing hiker Michael Purdy, age 24 of Portland, OR, concluded when a ground team found his remains near the north end of the Savage River Loop Trail. Clues indicate that Purdy had diverted from the riverside trail to do some scrambling on higher terrain when he fell and suffered a fatal head injury.
A hasty search for Purdy had started Saturday, April 30 after his employer notified park rangers that he had not appeared at work on Friday or Saturday. On Sunday morning, May 1, aerial and ground teams focused search efforts on the Savage River, Mt. Margaret, and Healy Ridge. A ground search team discovered the remains.
Based on Purdy's most recent cell phone conversations and sightings of his vehicle at the Savage East parking lot, it is assumed that the fatal accident occurred on Tuesday, April 26. Purdy's remains will be recovered by the park helicopter via a long-line operation, then transferred to the State Medical Examiner.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
