Below is the latest news that I’ve found on the internet on Hwa Yi-Jien who was reported missing , I don’t have much to say apart from my continual prayers are with Yi-Jien and the family members at this time. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Regular searches to halt for missing hiker
BY TRAVIS COLEMAN Tribune Staff Writer • September 3, 2008
Glacier National Park officials decided Tuesday to discontinue regular searches for a hiker reported missing last month.
No new clues on 27-year-old Yi-Jien Hwa’s whereabouts were found last weekend after search teams scoured locations adjacent on his planned 100-mile hike through a remote area of the park.
Hwa was last seen Aug. 11, the first day of his planned hike.
The Park’s superintendent, Chas Cartwright, said in a news release that he was disappointed he could not succeed in explaining what happened to Hwa, a seminary student from Lexington, Ky., who Cartwright called an enthusiastic young outdoorsman.
"Reluctantly, after more than 2,500 hours of searching in difficult terrain and challenging conditions, the time has come to acknowledge that we are unlikely to solve this mystery without additional information," Cartwright said.
Hwa’s family reported him missing after he had not contacted them as agreed on Aug. 18, the day he was expected to end his hike.
The park then began an extensive search with between 30 and 60 people shuttled in and out an area that included cliffs, glaciers, crevasses, forests, and ice and snow bridges.
Incident Commander Patrick Suddath said in the news release that the park has not given up hope of finding Hwa.
"We simply had to make the decision that committing the resources at the level we have committed them over the past two weeks could not continue based on the information we had to go on," Suddath said.
Suddath had previously said a family emergency prevented Hwa’s wife from going on the hike as planned.
If new information comes up, Suddath said he would not hesitate to renew the search.
He asked that anyone who has seen Hwa or who has information that might help locate him to call the park at 406-888-7801.
