Missing hiker found alive in Hatcher Pass

After days of searching for a hiker who had set out on Saturday, August 3, 2024 and but failed to return the following evening, Alaska State Troopers reported that the man had been found alive.

Roberto Zapata left his Palmer home Saturday morning to hike in Hatcher Pass, but his family reported that he did not return when he had planned, and called the Alaska State Trooper (AST) in the early morning hours on August 5.

AST Helo-3 and Alaska Mountain Rescue Group (AMRG) responded and began searching the area. Zapata’s vehicle was located at the Upper Reed Lakes trailhead. Throughout the day, Troopers coordinated search efforts consisting of aerial searches with DPS HELO 2 and ground searching by Alaska State Park Rangers and professional volunteers from AMRG. Search teams found no sign of the overdue hiker.

Beginning Monday morning at 6:00 am, AMRG received the official call-out to respond to a missing hiker search. The search for the 60-year-old male, who family says is an avid hiker, lasted two days.

According to a social media post, by day two of the search, the resources responding were from multiple agencies, and multiple SAR volunteer organizations under the direction of the Alaska Search and Rescue Association (ASARA). The Alaska Air National Guard was requested by the AST, and it is to their credit that the missing hiker was found.

In the last hours of the search, a crew from G Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion was consolidating search teams spread out over the area to save AMRG members and other searchers many hours of hiking. During this effort, the crew spotted the missing hiker from the air.

Zapata was quickly carried to the helicopter by members of AMRG and the flight crew medics and transported to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

“Thank you to everyone who helped bring a beloved member of our community home safe. This is why we love serving our community.”