Search For Missing Hiker Suspended In King County

NORTH BEND, WA – The King County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that it is calling off the search for a 57-year-old hiker who went missing last week near Snoqualmie Mountain.

Sergey Cherepov, from Russia and in the area on business, reportedly went with friends to Goldmyer Hot Springs on Thursday, but then left the springs alone to head back to the parking area. When his friends returned to the parking area, the man was not there, deputies said. Cherepov's friends searched for him without success and on Friday called law enforcement, the agency said.

The man had no equipment, food or water, was not dressed for cold temperatures, and also had a head injury from a recent fall and was wearing a bandage on his head.

King County Search and Rescue volunteers searched the area since Friday, however, deputies said the region is large, with dense forests and vegetation, making the search difficult.

"Trails in the area have been searched, but rescuers fear he may have fallen which would make it difficult to find him in the thick brush off the trails," the King County Sheriff's Office said. "Additionally, the weather has been a factor."

Goldmyer Hot Springs is accessed via the Dingford Creek trailhead, which is in the Taylor River valley between Mount Price and Preacher Mountain. The hot springs are maintained by a nonprofit group that restricts access to the springs to a maximum of 20 people per day. The springs are located in an extremely remote area, and visitors are usually encouraged to arrive prepared for backcountry hiking.

Anyone with information can call the King County Sheriff's Office at 206-296-0100.

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--Neal McNamara contributed to this post/Image via King Co. Sheriff