KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash. — A missing hiker was found dead near Lake Lillian by search and rescue crews Wednesday morning after he was reported missing by friends and family on Monday.
Nicolas Gomiero, 24, from Seattle, was reported missing on Monday afternoon after he didn't return from a hike in the Lake Lillian area near Snoqualmie Pass in Kittitas County.
The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office launched a search and rescue operation on Monday and searched into the night. The search resumed on Tuesday when Kittitas County Search and Rescue (SAR) teams along with SAR teams from other counties looked for Gomiero in the rugged, mountainous terrain.
At around 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, a team on the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office's helicopter spotted Gomiero at the foot of some cliffs near Lake Lillian, according to the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office. He was deceased when rescue crews found him from an apparent fall.
The SAR flight crew returned to their base and retrieved a larger aircraft, which they used to lower teams down to retrieve Gomiero's body.
Gomiero was transferred to the Kittitas County Coroner's Office, which will examine the cause of his death.
Fourteen different rescue organizations participated in the search for Gomiero.
Kittitas County Sheriff Clay Myers said, “We grieve with Mr. Gomiero’s family and loved ones for his sudden, unexpected passing, and we thank all those who dedicated their time and energy to answering the painful questions of his loved ones.”