A hiker who went missing in Yellowstone National Park earlier this week has been found dead.
Search crews located the body of 53-year-old Jeff Murphy on Friday. According to the National Park Service, his death appears to have resulted from a fall on Turkey Pen Peak, which is located in the northern section of the park.
On Wednesday morning, Murphy, a resident of Batavia, Illinois, went for a day hike on the Rescue Creek Trail. Authorities initiated a large-scale search for Murphy on Thursday after he failed to return from the hike.
The National Park Service said the search operation involved eight hiking teams, five dog teams, four horse teams and a helicopter.
Murphy is the second hiker to die in the Yellowstone area this week.
Searchers began looking for 42-year-old Mike Petersen on Sunday night after he failed to return to a designated rendezvous point near the town of West Yellowstone, Montana. However, the Bismarck, North Dakota, resident was found dead by searchers on Tuesday.
According to the Associated Press, Petersen had been in the area several times over the past four months, knew the area and had backcountry experience. He also had enough equipment to stay in the forest and signal for help.
Investigators have not said how Petersen died.
