Officials find the body of a woman who got off a cruise ship in Alaska to hike and didn’t return
JUNEAU, ALASKA, JUL 4 – Multi-agency teams used helicopters, drones, and K-9s to find Dr. Marites Buenafe after a solo hike; her body was located near Gold Ridge, Alaska, four days after she went missing.
- Authorities recovered the body of 62-year-old Dr. Marites Buenafe near Gold Ridge, Juneau, Alaska, on July 3, after she went missing from a cruise ship on July 1.
- Marites Buenafe disembarked from the Norwegian Bliss to undertake a trek from Gold Ridge toward Gastineau Peak but failed to reboard before the vessel's scheduled 1:30 p.m. departure, leading her family to report her missing to the Juneau Police Department on July 1.
- Search efforts involved multiple agencies including Juneau Mountain Rescue, Alaska State Troopers, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Alaska Army National Guard using ground teams, helicopters, and thermal drones amid challenging terrain and weather.
- At 11:56 a.m. on July 3, a helicopter team from the Alaska Army National Guard discovered her remains roughly 1,700 feet below the Gold Ridge ridge line; her family was informed, and arrangements were made for an autopsy.
- Officials emphasized the importance of informing someone about hiking plans to enable timely search and rescue responses, reflecting on the circumstances of Buenafe’s disappearance and the multi-agency cooperation involved.
21 Articles
21 Articles
The body of 62-year-old Kentucky resident Marites Buenafe was found by the crew on Thursday night under the crest of Gold Ridge
Missing cruise passenger found dead near Juneau after hike
An Alaska Army National Guard helicopter crew found the body of a cruise ship passenger Thursday night after she went for a hike near Juneau. Marites Buenafe, a 62-year-old Kentucky woman, was on a Norwegian Bliss cruise when she told family members she was getting off the ship to hike, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety. She never made it back by the ship’s departure time Tuesday evening. Troopers and Juneau Mountain Rescue fou…
Officials Find the Body of Woman Who Got Off Cruise Ship in Alaska to Hike and Didn’t Return
JUNEAU, Alaska—Authorities say they have found the body of a woman visiting Alaska’s capital city who did not return to her cruise ship from a hike she said she was taking. The Alaska Department of Public Safety said the body of 62-year-old Marites Buenafe of Kentucky was found by an Alaska Army National Guard helicopter crew late Thursday below the ridge line of Gold Ridge. Troopers and Juneau Mountain Rescue were able to recover the body with …
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium