Missing hiker from Newport Beach found dead in Sequoia National Park

A missing Newport Beach man has been found dead in Sequoia National Park after almost three-week-long search.

According to the National Park Service, the body of 43-year-old Matthew Thoke was found and recovered over the weekend. His body was in a location that was not visible by air and hardly visible on the ground. Searchers had been challenged throughout the search by the steep and densely vegetated terrain.

Thoke was last seen about 1 p.m. July 21, leaving the High Sierra Trail about 3 miles east of the Crescent Meadow trailhead east of Panther Creek.

Park officials said Thoke had split from his group during a multi-day wilderness trip and was hiking from Bearpaw to Crescent Meadow when he walked off trail without his pack.

Officials said they are not sharing more details at this time and asked that everyone please respect the family’s privacy.