Late yesterday, Dawson County officials announced that they had recovered the body of Eddie Noonkester, an aspiring Appalachian Trail thru-hiker who was reported missing this past weekend. No foul play is suspected by investigators. We send our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

A search and rescue team of over 130 individuals joined the search for Mr. Noonkester, many working over multiple nights through harsh weather conditions. We thank them for their tireless efforts to locate Mr. Noonkester.

We would also like to thank the dozens of individuals who contacted the ATC directly to offer their assistance in finding Mr. Noonkester. We encourage anyone who witnesses a person in trouble or any other incidents on the Trail to contact local law enforcement, the National Park Service, and the ATC directly via the methods found at appalachiantrail.org/incidents.

Media Contact: Jordan Bowman
Appalachian Trail Conservancy 
Tel: 304.885.0794 
Email: jbowman@appalachiantrail.org