News Release

Search Underway for Missing Backpacker in Olympic National Park

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News Release Date: August 6, 2021
Contact: Penny Wagner

A search is currently underway for a backpacker reported missing on August 5 in Olympic National Park. Cheri Keller is a 56-year-old female from Olympia, Washington and is 5’6” tall, with gray hair. She was wearing a blue shirt and khaki pants with a blue backpack. Keller was last seen by her backpacking group on August 4 around 11:30 am near Home Sweet Home camp, located in the southeastern region of the park. The group of five backpackers had stopped there for water.    

Keller became separated from the group after they left Home Sweet Home headed for Camp Pleasant. The group waited for her at Camp Pleasant where they had intended to meet for lunch and ended up staying in that location overnight. Two members of the group hiked out to Staircase Thursday morning and reported her missing to park dispatch around 10:00 am. The other members of the group hiked back to First Divide to look for her but were unable to locate her. Keller’s group had a wilderness permit for August 1-5 to hike from the Duckabush trailhead over to Staircase.    

Search and Rescue personnel hiked into the wilderness from Staircase on Thursday after Keller was reported missing. Two National Park Service search teams are in the field today covering the route from the Duckabush side and from the Staircase side. Additional resources for the search are being coordinated. 

If you were in the area of First Divide, Upper Duckabush, or Camp Pleasant on August 4 or August 5 or have any information regarding this individual, please call or text the NPS Investigative Services Branch (ISB) Tip Line at 888-653-0009; or online at  www.nps.gov/ISB by clicking "Submit a Tip" or by email at e-mail us. Information from other day hikers and backpackers is often extremely valuable during searches.   

CALL or TEXT the ISB Tip Line 888-653-0009   
ONLINE form www.nps.gov/ISB Submit a Tip   
EMAIL e-mail us   
EMERGENCY dial 9-1-1  

Tags: investigative services branch, isb, missing hiker, olympic national park, search and rescue

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