‘Cocoon of love’ helped family heal in year since father-daughter hikers died on Katahdin

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 7, 2026

A year after two hikers died on Katahdin, their family returned to the area to thank the rangers who found the pair after a multi-day search. Tim Keiderling, 58, and Esther Keiderling, 28, attempted to hike Katahdin on June 1, 2025, when they likely encountered extreme conditions on Maine’s tallest mountain. A search started the next morning for the father and daughter. They were found dead days later, after multiple agencies conducted a large air and ground search. On Thursday, some of the Keiderlings’ surviving family members went to Millinocket to meet with Baxter State Park rangers and people from other agencies who were involved in the search. The family wanted to commemorate the anniversary of Tim and Esther’s deaths and thank the searchers, said Joe Keiderling, Tim’s brother.