Joshua Rhett Miller
NY PostFri, 18 Oct 2019 17:46 UTC
© FacebookMichael William Kaiser
An "expert" Pennsylvania hiker reported missing after entering the Appalachian Trail was found dead at the bottom of a 30-foot embankment, state police said.
The body of Michael William Kaiser, 56, was discovered Thursday in Lehigh County in an area known as Bear Rocks five days after his brother reported him missing to authorities, Pennsylvania State Police said.
The seasoned hiker last communicated with his brother via cellphone on Saturday from a hiking area known as Bake Oven Knob.
Kaiser's brother contacted police a day later to report that he had not heard from the "avid and expert" hiker. Deputies found Kaiser's Ford F-150 on Wednesday, according to an incident report obtained by
The Post.
No foul play is suspected in Kaiser's death, and an autopsy will not be performed, a state police spokesman said.
"There is no danger to the public," the report reads.
It's still unclear whether Kaiser, of Newportville, fell down the embankment or had a medical episode, Trooper Nathan Branosky said.
Kaiser, who had no significant medical or psychological issues, had planned on hiking for just two days, according to The Allentown Hiking Club.
How does one get rated as an 'expert' hiker?
R.C.