Missing Fresno hiker’s body found in canal

The body of a missing 74-year old hiker was found Tuesday afternoon in a canal along Barstow Avenue near Biola, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said.

Robert Simonian went missing Monday afternoon after not returning home from a hike around 12:45 p.m. His family said it was not uncommon for him to hike along the canal. Simonian had a weighted backpack as a part of his hiking training exercise. He left his Barstow home about 9 a.m.

His family began to get worried after he didn’t return three hours later, and were not able to contact him on his cellphone. That’s when they called the Sheriff’s Office to file a report.

On Tuesday, dive teams found Simonian in the canal within 10 minutes of looking. Deputies identified an area where Simonian entered, finding shoe tracks near the canal. His body was found midway between Floyd and Bishop avenues.

The Sheriff’s Office said it doesn’t know if foul play is involved. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.

This story was originally published July 5, 2016 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Missing Fresno hiker’s body found in canal."