After a week missing in Yosemite, hiker’s body found in park waterway, family says
The family of a hiker who has been missing in Yosemite National Park said his body has been recovered and he was believed to have drowned.
Hayden T. Klemenok, 24, of Petaluma went missing on July 2 after entering a waterway during a hike with others in the park’s Chilnualna Creek near the trail junction, park rangers said.
His sister said park officials notified the family his body was found Sunday, adding it would take about 24 hours to recover him because of the difficult terrain, according to a Facebook post from Tuesday.
“We have a long road ahead of us in our grieving as individuals, as family, and in our new lives without our irreplaceable, unforgettable brother and son whom we cherish and immeasurably miss,” the post said.
Klemenok’s death was a presumed accidental drowning though the investigation was ongoing, she said.
“We will never stop loving our Hayden,” the social media post said.
Klemenok played junior college baseball in Santa Rosa and had recently graduated from San Diego State University.
A family friend set up a GoFundMe to help Klemenok’s mother and family, who missed work and accrued other expenses during the tragedy.
This story was originally published July 12, 2023 at 7:36 AM.
