The family of a hiker who disappeared in Mount Rainier National Park has launched a petition calling on authorities and President Trump to resume the search for him.
The National Park Service had been conducting the search for missing University of Washington professor Dr. Sam Dubal, with help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the military, Fox News reported.
Park rangers suspended the ground search for Dubal, 33, on Friday evening. They started to hunt for him on October 12. The search brought together ground teams, dogs, drones, helicopters and infrared cameras, according to NBC News.
But Dubal is an experienced camper, his family said. The hiker joined the university as an assistant professor of anthropology this June and was enjoying exploring the area.
“We are so grateful to the brave searchers and the expertise of the NPS – they are who you want to search for you – but to stop at Day Nine is too early,” his sister Dena Dubal told Fox News. “Sam is fit, he has all the gear on him for rain and snow. He has a tent on him. He has camped in the Himalayas, so this is too early. We implore the Mount Rainier National Park Service, [NPS Acting Director] Margaret Everson and President Donald Trump, to please reactivate the search for Sam.”
Earlier, Dubal had set out for an overnight hike on the Mother Mountain Loop near the Mowich Lake trailhead, according to the Seattle Times. It is a challenging hike by day and a moderate backpacking trip.
“Searchers have spent long hours scouring the area, and not locating Dr. Dubal is heavy on our hearts,” Mount Rainier superintendent Chip Jenkins said in a statement. “We continue to be in close contact with Dr. Dubal’s family and will keep them updated as new information becomes available.”
