Updated at 6:39 a.m., Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Search for Big Island hiker from Michigan resumes
Advertiser Staff
At the urging of the family, firefighters will be continuing their search operations today on Mauna Kea for a missing hiker from Michigan. The search had originally been called off late yesterday afternoon after five days of searching.Bryan Murphy, 67, has not been seen since Wednesday, when he told traveling companions of plans to hike Mauna Kea. Murphy signed in at the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station at the 9,200-foot elevation at noon and spoke to a park employee about a mile up the Humu'ula Trail.
A cold front hit the Big Island two hours later, dropping about a foot of snow on the summit and creating a blizzard with 70 mph winds.
Today will be the sixth day of searching for Murphy in steep terrain covered by bushy ground cover.
As of yesterday, 25 people on foot covered about six square miles, from the 13,400-foot elevation down to 7,000 feet. The effort also included aerial and ground searches with two all-terrain vehicles.
