Search for Newport Beach man in Sequoia National Park ends, body recovered

A Newport Beach man was found dead in Sequoia National Park on Saturday, a little over two weeks after he’d been reported to authorities as missing from his group.

Park officials recovered the body of Matthew Thoke, 43, Sunday after trained searchers located him close to where he was last seen. Authorities said, in a statement, that Thoke was located in an area that was not visible by air and was hardly visible on the ground.

“We are saddened by this conclusion but are grateful for all the agencies, organizations, friends and family who worked on this effort,” said Clay Jordan, superintendent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, in a statement released Monday. “It often takes a village to bring things to a close. We ask that the public and press continue to respect the family’s privacy in this extremely difficult time.”

Authorities said Thoke deliberately split from his hiking group on a multi-day wilderness trip with the intention of hiking to Crescent Meadow on his own. Officials said Thoke was last seen at around 1 p.m. on July 21, traveling downhill and south of a trail about three miles east of Crescent Meadow without his overnight pack. The search began that afternoon when Thoke did not return.

Search efforts were led by the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks with aid from multiple public agencies.

Efforts and resources were dialed back on Aug. 2.

Spokeswoman Sintia Kawasaki-Yee said the cause of death, as of Tuesday, is unknown, but that the details will not be released.

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