Date: November 27, 2016
Contact: Information Line, 559-565-3117
Contact: Mike Theune, 559-565-3703
SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, Calif. November 27, 2016 – Park officials are requesting the public’s help with information regarding a missing hiker. Saturday night, November 26, 2016, park dispatch was notified of an overdue hiker visiting the wilderness of Sequoia National Park. Vince Scalise, a 41-year-old from Phoenix, AZ, was supposed to return from a backpacking trip on Wednesday, November 23, 2016.
Mr. Scalise’s intended route of travel was reported up the Middle Fork Trailhead on November 18 and expected to camp at Panther Creek through November 23.
Mr. Scalise is described as caucasian with brown hair and brown eyes and is 5’8” and around 175 pounds. He was possibly wearing a baseball cap and Ray Ban Sunglasses. He is reported to have forest green REI backpack and grey tent.
Crews are being mobilized today to conduct foot searches today. The area has experienced some inclement weather during this timeframe, with higher elevations receiving snow. Overnight temperatures continue to be below freezing.
Anyone who may have come across Mr. Scalise or have any other information is encouraged to contact Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks at 559-565-3117 with their name, contact information. Please contact the park if you were in this area since Thursday, November 19, 2016, even if you do not believe you saw Mr. Scalise.
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About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
These two parks, which lie-side-by-side in the southern Sierra Nevada in Central California, serve as a prime example of nature’s size, beauty, and diversity. Over 1.5 million visitors from across the U.S. and the world visit these parks for the world’s largest trees (by volume), grand mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, the highest point in the lower 48 states, and more. Learn more at https://www.nps.gov/seki or 559-565-3341.
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