Missing Livingston Hiker, 20, Found Deceased, Family Says

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Zach Krull has been found and is at peace, his family says.

Last weekend, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office in Washington confirmed that a hiker in Olympic National Park found a body believed to be Krull, a 20-year-old college student from Livingston who went missing during a solo, overnight hike in April near the Lake Cushman/Staircase area of Mason County.

According to his family, Krull had just transferred to Evergreen State College at the time of his disappearance.

• See related article: Essex County Man Goes Missing While Hiking Olympic National Park

On Monday, Krull’s family posted a message on Facebook that stated he “has been found and is at peace.”

The message stated:

“We thank everyone for their incredible support these last 12 weeks; your thoughts and prayers have helped more than you can know.”

The Mason County coroner told the Peninsula Daily News that a hiker found the body Saturday night in Olympic National Park by a creek near Flapjack Lakes, about two miles north of Lake Cushman.

Severe weather conditions hampered the initial search, which was aided by Olympic Mountain Rescue, helicopter support out of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, units from Mason, Thurston, and units from Pierce County Search and Rescue, authorities said.

Search and rescue crews previously found a week-old set of tracks that went through an area hit by an avalanche, but it wasn’t known if the tracks belonged to Krull, the Daily News reported.

According to his family, Krull, an avid outdoorsman, had hopes of becoming forest ranger for the National Park Service. His Facebook page paints a portrait of a promising young man who treasured the environment and the outdoor lifestyle.

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Photo: Mason County Sheriff’s Office