Sam Sayers Search Suspended By SnoCo Sheriff, Family Presses On

SEATTLE, WA - After more than four weeks of searching, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office says it will suspend the search for missing Seattle hiker Samantha Sayers. Sayers, 28, went on a solo hike up Vesper Peak on Aug. 1 and hasn't been seen since.

But friends and family of Sayers say they will continue searching as hard as ever.

"We aren’t stepping down and we are only gearing up harder and with more personnel. Helicopters, internationally known trackers, drone operators and of course you and our volunteers," Sayesr boyfriend, Kevin Dares, wrote on the #findsamsayers Facebook page Thursday.

Volunteer and sheriff's office rescue crews have spent hundreds of hours searching for Sayers over the past four weeks. The search effort has included helicopters, drones, and K9 dogs. The sheriff's mountain search-and-rescue team will continue to do "spot checks" at Vesper Peak as snow melts.

The sheriff's office has interviewed other hikers who saw Sayers on Vesper Peak Aug. 1. No witnesses saw her at the bottom of the trail.

"We have exhausted all leads and tips. We've interviewed all witnesses who have come forward. We have checked and double checked the possible routes we believe Sam could have taken," Search and Rescue Sgt. John Adams said in a press release. "If there was a place we thought she could get to, we put people there to look for Sam, often putting our volunteers and personnel at great risk due to the rugged, remote, and dangerous terrain."

Sayers' family is raising money on GoFundMe to pay for the ongoing search.

Image via GoFundMe, a Patch promotional partner