A family has revealed their heartbreak after a dad and his daughter were tragically found dead after going on a hike.
Tim Keiderling, 58, and his daughter Esther, 28, of Ulster Park, N.Y., were discovered just 1,000 feet apart on the Tablelands area of Mount Katahdin in Maine earlier this week, leaving behind a devastated family and community.
Their bodies were found on June 4 and June 5, respectively, following a harrowing multi-day search by Maine authorities and Warden Service K9 teams, per PEOPLE.
The father-daughter duo had traveled to Maine on a work-related sales trip for Rifton Equipment, the New York-based medical supply company where they both worked.
During a break from their work commitments, they made plans to hike a mountain that had long fascinated them, but the weekend escape turned into heartbreak.
Joe Keiderling, Tim’s brother, told NBC News: "They decided to take a weekend vacation and climb a mountain that had always attracted them."
In a poignant Substack post just one day before they went missing, Esther wrote about being "a little nervous" about the hike due to what she'd read about the steep and exposed Abol Trail, according to WMTW-TV.
The Keiderling family is now grappling with the immense loss. In a statement shared by the family’s Bruderhof community church, Tim’s brother-in-law Heinrich Arnold said: "Both were taken from us far too soon, and we are all left asking: ‘Why?’"
"One comfort to the family is knowing that Tim and Esther were doing something they both were passionate about: being near to God, surrounded by expansive views and visions, immersed in nature, in the raw and wild beauty of creation," Arnold added.
He described the last few days as “filled with endless hours of heartache and prayer.”
Joe Keiderling called his brother "utterly unique," recalling how “many young men and women remember him as an elementary school teacher who could hold them spellbound with wildly imaginative stories and escapades in the woods and fields of the Hudson Valley he called home.”
Tim, a father of six and grandfather of two, was also an active member of the Bruderhof Communities. “At church gatherings, Tim was a regular contributor, not only as a lay pastor but as a gifted storyteller, bringing life and vitality to familiar Bible stories and making them relevant to the issues of the day,” Joe said.
At home, he was “the consummate host” who adored “lively conversation and a great laugh.” He also found joy in nature — growing strawberries and blueberries, tending to bees, and cherishing his spiritual path.
As for Esther, her uncle described her as “quiet but deeply sensitive.”
“She loved reading and writing, with a particular fondness for the poets Gerard Manley Hopkins and Edna St. Vincent Millay,” Joe shared.
Tim and Esther were last seen around 10:15AM on Sunday, June 1, as they departed from the Abol Campground to summit Mount Katahdin. Their vehicle was later found in a day-use parking lot, prompting a large-scale search operation on Monday.
The Baxter State Park website warns that the Katahdin trails are “very strenuous,” with limited water access and full exposure after 2.5 miles. The hike can take 8 to 12 hours round-trip.
On June 3, Tim’s body was discovered near the summit. The next day, authorities located Esther’s body about 1,000 feet away between two trails off the Tablelands.
As of now, there is no evidence of foul play. Officials say the state medical examiner will determine the official cause of death and investigators are still working to understand why their bodies were found apart.