Latest news with #MountRoberts
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Yahoo
Body of Alaska cruise passenger found 1,700 feet below ridge line of intended hike
The body of a Norwegian Cruise Line passenger who went missing in Alaska has been recovered. Marites Buenafe, 62, vanished Tuesday after texting her family that she was going for a hike in Juneau, according to an Alaska State Troopers missing persons bulletin. She was reported missing after not returning to the Norwegian Bliss on time that afternoon. On Thursday, an Alaska Army National Guard helicopter spotted her body roughly 1,700 feet below the ridge line of the area she planned to hike, state troopers shared in an update via Juneau Police. 'Troopers and Juneau Mountain Rescue were able to recover her body with the assistance of Temsco Helicopters and the National Guard,' read the troopers' Facebook post, which thanked the agencies and volunteers involved. State troopers said Buenafe texted her family at around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, saying she was headed to Mount Roberts Tramway and planned to hike Gold Ridge to Gastineau Peak. Security footage showed her leaving the buildings at the top of Mount Roberts Tramway at about that time. She was supposed to return to the Norwegian Bliss by 1 p.m. that day, for the ship's scheduled 1:30 p.m. departure. A Norwegian spokesperson said multiple attempts were made to contact the guest before the ship departed. CruiseMapper shows the Bliss continuing on its week-long Alaska cruise sailing, which originated in Seattle on June 28. Multiple agencies searched the Gold Ridge area until Buenafe's body was recovered below the ridge line of Gold Ridge at around noon Thursday. 'Her next of kin have been notified, and her body will be sent to the state medical examiner's office for autopsy,' according to Alaska State Troopers. Norwegian told USA TODAY it's assisting local authorities in the investigation. Also, 'Our CARE team is providing support to the guest's family and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.' Contributing: Nathan Diller, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alaska cruise passenger's body found after she didn't return from hike
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Body of hiking cruise passenger found in Alaska
July 4 (UPI) -- Rescuers in Alaska recovered the body of a 62-year-old woman who went on a hike in the mountains near Juneau after leaving the Norwegian Bliss cruise ship. Marites Buenafe, a medical doctor from Kentucky, was a passenger on the Norwegian Bliss, which was a seven-day round-trip from Seattle. Her body was found on Thursday, the Alaska Department of Public Safety State Troopers announced. Around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, she texted family members that she was going up going up Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau and would hike from Gold Ridge to Gastineau Peak, the troopers reported. Security footage showed Buenafe at the top of the tramway. The 4-mile hike is challenging and usually takes three hours, hiking website AllTrails states. The ship was scheduled to depart around 1:30 p.m. At around 3:15, Buenafe was reported missing. Juneau Mountain Rescue searched on the ground and used thermal drones to scan the area, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said. Also, an Alaska Wildlife Troopers helicopter and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter conducted aerial searches, the department said. The search continued Wednesday with more than a dozen professional volunteers, as well as Juneau police officers, Alaska state troopers and Juneau Mountain Rescue. Also utilized were drones and K-9s. Helicopter use was limited because of windy conditions. The search resumed Thursday. At 11:56 a.m., Alaska Army National Guard helicopter crew located Buenafe's body some approximately 1,700 feet below the ridge line of Gold Ridge, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said. Crews then recovered her body, which was taken to the state medical examiner's office for autopsy. Buenafe was listed on the University of Kentucky Healthcare system's website as a doctor. DPS spokesperson Austin McDaniel told KYES-TV it is important to inform somebody of hiking plans. "If you don't return on time, they can alert first responders, alert search and rescue teams, the troopers, so we can immediately begin formulating a plan and activating resources to help get you out of the field," McDaniel said.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
KY doctor missing in Alaska after failing to return to cruise ship
Police are searching for a Kentucky doctor who went missing after hiking in Juneau, Alaska. Marites Buenafe, 62, was last seen July 1 heading up Mount Roberts Tramway, planning to hike the Gold Ridge to Gastineau Peak, according to the Alaska State Police. Buenafe was reported missing a day after her birthday when she did not return to her cruise ship, the Norwegian Bliss. Security footage showed her at the top of Mount Roberts Tramway. However, state police said searches of the area have been unsuccessful. Buenafe practices family medicine at the University of Kentucky, according to their website. Buenafe is 5 feet tall and weighs 118 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, troopers said. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Alaska State Troopers in Juneau at 907-465-4000 and reference incident AK25063914.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
Missing doctor who left cruise ship in Alaska to take a hike found dead
Alaskan authorities say they've found the body of a 62-year-old woman who disembarked from a cruise ship to take a hike and didn't return. Marites Buenafe — who's listed on the University of Kentucky Healthcare system's website as a doctor — was traveling aboard the Norwegian Bliss, according to a missing persons bulletin issued by the Alaska State Troopers. The ship was on a week-long round-trip tour of Alaska that departed from Seattle, according to ship tracking site CruiseMapper. Around 7:30 a.m. local time on July 1, Buenafe texted family members that she was heading up Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau and would hike from Gold Ridge to Gastineau Peak, the bulletin said. Security footage showed Buenafe at the top of the tramway around that same time. Hiking website AllTrails describes the hike as a challenging but popular 4.1 mile trek that usually takes about three hours to complete. The ship was scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. departure, according to the security bulletin. At around 3:15, Buenafe was reported missing. Alaska Wildlife Troopers were alerted to her disappearance shortly afterwards, according to a news release from the Alaska Department of Public Safety. Juneau Mountain Rescue conducted a ground search and used thermal drones to scan the area, the agency said. An Alaska Wildlife Troopers helicopter and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter also conducted aerial searches, the department said. On July 2, the search continued. The efforts included over a dozen professional volunteers, Juneau police officers, Alaska state troopers and Juneau Mountain Rescue. Searchers used drones, ground teams and K-9 assets, but found no sign of Buenafe. Weather conditions meant only limited helicopter searches could be conducted later in the day. The search resumed on July 3 and, shortly before noon local time, an Alaska Army National Guard helicopter crew located Buenafe's body some approximately 1,700 feet below the ridge line of Gold Ridge, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety. Troopers and Juneau Mountain Rescue were able to recover her body, aided by the National Guard and private tour company Temsco Helicopters. Her next of kin have been notified, and her body will be sent to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy, the ADPS said. Department of Public Safety spokesperson Austin McDaniel told CBS affiliate KYES-TV that people traveling in backcountry or going on long hikes should inform someone where they are going, when they plan to return and what they are wearing. They should also consider bringing an additional communication device in case there is no cell service. Eye Opener: Trump to sign controversial bill Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty | "48 Hours" Podcast CBS News journalists describe what it was like to report on Sean "Diddy" Combs trial
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
Body of Missing Cruise Passenger, 62, Found After She Vanished During a Solo Hike in Alaska Mountains
The body of 62-year-old cruise ship passenger Marites Buenafe has been found two days after she vanished after embarking on a solo hike in Alaska, authorities have said Buenafe had told family on the morning of Tuesday, July 1 that she was going up Mount Roberts Tramway and planned to hike Gold Ridge to Gastineau Peak, the Alaska State Troopers confirmed in an initial press release She was reported missing after failing to return to her cruise ship, the Norwegian BlissThe body of a 62-year-old cruise ship passenger has been found after she went missing during a solo hike in Alaska, authorities have said. On Thursday, July 3 at 11:56 a.m. local time, an Alaska National Guard helicopter crew located Marites Buenafe's body. That was two days after the Alaska Wildlife Troopers were notified that she hadn't returned to her cruise ship after getting off on the morning of Tuesday, July 1, per an Alaska State Troopers press release. Buenafe had told her family that morning that she was going up the Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau and planned to hike Gold Ridge to Gastineau Peak, an initial release stated. Her cruise ship, the Norwegian Bliss, was set to depart Juneau at 1:30 p.m. on the day she went missing. The Kentucky native was on the trip alone, according to the Juneau Police Department. Security cameras last spotted her at the top of Mount Roberts Tramway. She departed the buildings around the time she sent a text to her family, police added. After a two-day search, Buenafe's body was located approximately 1,700 feet below the ridge line of Gold Ridge, the state troopers said in an update on Thursday evening. "Troopers and Juneau Mountain Rescue were able to recover her body with the assistance of Temsco Helicopters and the National Guard. Her next of kin have been notified, and her body will be sent to the state medical examiner's office for autopsy," the release stated. It continued, "Wildlife Troopers would like to thank all of the volunteers and agencies that assisted with this search and rescue." A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line previously told PEOPLE that when Buenafe did not return to the ship by the all-aboard time, she was reported missing to local state troopers. "An active search is ongoing, and we are providing assistance to local authorities as appropriate. Our CARE team is providing support to the guest's family and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time," the spokesperson said earlier on Thursday. Before Buenafe's body was found, Juneau Mountain Rescue had "conducted a ground search and utilized thermal drones," the state troopers said in an initial release. "AWT Helo 5 and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter conducted aerial searches of the area," the post added, later stating that weather conditions had allowed limited helicopter searches late in the day on Wednesday. "Yesterday, July 2nd, over a dozen professional volunteers from Juneau Mountain Rescue and SEADOGS joined Troopers and Juneau Police Officers for an extensive search using drones, K-9s, and ground teams, with no signs of Marites," the state troopers had said in Thursday's release. Buenafe was a physician at UK HealthCare in Lexington, Ky., according to The New York Times. The healthcare system's website shows that she received her degree from Case Western Reserve University and completed her residency in family medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to the U.S. News and World Report website, Buenafe had been in practice for more than 20 years. The Alaska State Troopers and Norwegian Cruise Line didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment. Read the original article on People
