Body of missing hiker found on north side of Mount Whitney

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Authorities say the body of a 41-year-old hiker from Virginia has been found on Mount Whitney after a three-day search in snowy and icy terrain of California’s tallest peak.

The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office says in a statement Wednesday that an air search located the body of Ling Dao on the north side of the 14,505-foot (4,421-meter) mountain in Sequoia National Park.

Dao had planned to climb Mount Whitney in a one-day solo hike on June 12 and was last seen at the summit that day.

Dao’s colleagues in Virginia contacted authorities when he did not show up for work on June 13.

His body was turned over to coroners who will determine the cause of death.