TL;DR: Search teams resumed a ground and air search on Friday, Sept. 18 for 78-year-old Peter Kalapaca, last seen near the top of Sauk Mountain Trail in Skagit County.

SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. — The Skagit County Sheriff's Office led an active search on Friday, Sept. 18 for a 78-year-old hiker reported missing on Sauk Mountain Trail the day before.

The missing hiker was identified as Peter Kalapaca, according to the Skagit Valley Herald reporting carried on goskagit.com.

Family members last saw Kalapaca at the top of the Sauk Mountain Trail at approximately 12:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the Skagit Valley Herald.

The sheriff's office said Kalapaca was reported missing Thursday after being separated from family for an extended period, according to KOMO News.

The search continued Thursday evening with extensive ground and air efforts, according to KOMO News.

Those Thursday evening efforts did not locate Kalapaca, according to KOMO News.

Search efforts resumed Friday with assistance from outside agencies, according to KOMO News.

The assisting agencies included the National Park Service, U.S. Border Patrol and search and rescue resources from neighboring counties, according to KOMO News.

The Skagit County Sheriff's Office identified the case as 26-11396, according to PNW Daily.

Who Search Teams Were Looking For

Kalapaca was described as 78 years old, about 5 feet, 9 inches tall and about 170 pounds, according to KOMO News.

He was described as a white male with gray hair, according to My Bellingham Now.

He was last seen wearing a yellow shirt, a yellow hat and blue jeans, according to KOMO News.

The Skagit County Sheriff's Office released a recent photo of Kalapaca, according to PNW Daily.

The photo showed the yellow hat he was wearing when he disappeared, according to KOMO News.

The sheriff's office said the provided photo was recent and showed the same yellow hat, according to KOMO News.

Cascadia Daily News reported that Kalapaca became separated from his family near the top of the trail.

My Bellingham Now reported that he was last seen near the top of the trail wearing a yellow shirt and hat.

Where He Was Last Seen

Sauk Mountain Trail is in Skagit County, Washington, according to PNW Daily.

Kalapaca was hiking the Sauk Mountain Trail on Thursday, Sept. 17, according to My Bellingham Now.

Family members were with him on the hike before the separation, according to Cascadia Daily News.

The last sighting occurred near the top of the trail, according to the Skagit Valley Herald.

The time of that sighting was approximately 12:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the Skagit Valley Herald.

PNW Daily reported that Kalapaca disappeared after reaching an area near the top of the Sauk Mountain Trail.

The family notified the Sheriff's Office after being separated from him for an extended period, according to the Skagit Valley Herald.

Limited Supplies Raised Overnight Concern

Kalapaca was carrying limited food and water, according to KOMO News.

He was unprepared to stay overnight, according to KOMO News.

My Bellingham Now reported that he had limited food and water and was not prepared for overnight conditions.

PNW Daily reported that he carried limited food and water and did not have the supplies needed to remain in the area overnight.

The sheriff's office highlighted the supply issue in its description of the case, according to PNW Daily.

For wilderness readiness, the case underlined why day hikers plan for an unexpected night out.

A general readiness step is to carry extra food and water beyond the planned hike.

Another general step is to carry clothing and gear for overnight conditions even on a day hike.

Thursday Evening Search Did Not Find Him

The Skagit County Sheriff's Office began a search and rescue operation by ground and air on the evening of Sept. 17, according to Cascadia Daily News.

Crews conducted extensive ground and air searches Thursday evening but could not find him, according to PNW Daily.

KOMO News described the Thursday effort as a thorough search on the ground and from the air.

Despite that thorough search Thursday evening, he was not found, according to KOMO News.

The Skagit Valley Herald reported that extensive ground and air searches Thursday evening had not located Kalapaca.

That result set up a renewed operation the next day, according to KOMO News.

Friday Search Expanded Across Agencies

Search and rescue crews resumed their search Friday for the man missing since Thursday on the Sauk Mountain Trail, according to PNW Daily.

The sheriff's office said crews resumed the search Friday, Sept. 18, according to PNW Daily.

The National Park Service joined the effort, according to KOMO News.

The U.S. Border Patrol joined the effort, according to KOMO News.

Search and rescue teams from neighboring counties joined the effort, according to KOMO News.

My Bellingham Now reported that the U.S. Border Patrol and the National Park Service were assisting in the search and rescue operation.

The Skagit Valley Herald reported that search efforts resumed Friday with assistance from the National Park Service, U.S. Border Patrol and search and rescue resources from neighboring counties.

Cascadia Daily News reported that the search continued through most of Friday as crews worked by ground and air.

Trail Closed To Support Rescue Work

Sauk Mountain Trail was temporarily closed to assist with the search and rescue operation, according to PNW Daily.

The U.S. Forest Service gave the sheriff's office permission to shut down the trail earlier Friday, according to My Bellingham Now.

My Bellingham Now reported that the trail closure took effect after that permission earlier Friday.

The closure was described as temporary during efforts to locate the overdue hiker, according to My Bellingham Now.

PNW Daily listed the temporary closure in its summary of the Sauk Mountain search.

Keeping a search area clear helps ground and air crews work without added trail traffic.

Hikers planning a Sauk Mountain trip were therefore asked to choose another destination while the closure was in place.

How The Public Was Asked To Help

Anyone who may have seen Kalapaca or had information about his whereabouts was asked to call the Skagit County Sheriff's Office at 360-428-3211, according to KOMO News.

The Skagit Valley Herald gave the same contact number and asked anyone who had seen Kalapaca to call.

PNW Daily also listed 360-428-3211 as the number for information and referenced case 26-11396.

My Bellingham Now did not list a separate tip line beyond the sheriff's office search operation.

The sheriff's office said the photo of the missing man was recent, according to KOMO News.

That photo allowed other hikers to compare the yellow hat and yellow shirt description with anyone they had seen.

Anyone with information was asked to share what they saw with the sheriff's office rather than entering a closed search area.

Readiness Takeaway For Day Hikers

The sheriff's office account focused on three linked details: separation from the group, limited food and water, and no overnight preparation, according to KOMO News and My Bellingham Now.

Separation happened after Kalapaca reached the upper part of the trail with family, according to PNW Daily and the Skagit Valley Herald.

The extended period before notification showed how quickly a gap can grow on a mountain trail.

Staying together, setting regroup points, and turning back together are general ways hiking parties reduce separation risk.

Limited supplies matter because a short delay can become an overnight stay.

Carrying enough food and water for extra hours is a general readiness habit for mountain routes.

What Was Known Friday

As reported Friday, the search remained active and involved multiple agencies, according to PNW Daily.

The sheriff's office was leading the search, according to PNW Daily.

The National Park Service, U.S. Border Patrol and neighboring county search and rescue teams were assisting, according to KOMO News.

The trail was temporarily closed while the operation continued, according to PNW Daily.

The public contact point was the Skagit County Sheriff's Office at 360-428-3211, according to KOMO News and the Skagit Valley Herald.

The case reference was 26-11396, according to PNW Daily.

Sources referenced