The remains of a hiker who went missing in a Southern California park last year have been found nearly nine months after the man’s disappearance, according to the National Park Service.
Staff members with the Joshua Tree National Park discovered the skeletal remains of Trammell Evans, 25, on January 25 off a trail in the park’s Black Rock area, park officials said Tuesday in a news release.
“Park staff were led to the discovery when park researchers found an unattended backpack, which was later confirmed as belonging to Trammell Evans,” the release said.
Evans was last seen after being dropped off at the Black Rock Campground on the night of April 30, 2023, according to the park service. The hiker was supposed to be picked up on May 5, 2023, after a few days of hiking, an NPS news release said. He was reported missing that day.
Evans was considered an “athletic and experienced long-distance hiker” who was familiar with Joshua Tree, according to a park service news release last year.
Evans’s loved ones ran a Facebook page seeking information on his whereabouts in the months since his disappearance. They said in a social media post that they “are saddened to share” his remains had been located.
“It appears he succumbed to complications related to alcohol withdrawal. In his final journal entry, filled with optimism but also concern regarding the symptoms of withdrawal, Tram expressed his love for everyone, reminding us that ‘love is what life is all about,’” read a Facebook post on January 28.
The “Find Tram” Facebook page described Evans as the youngest of three brothers who enjoyed outdoor activities like skiing and sailing.
“He sought healing through being in nature, but underestimated the challenges of his condition,” the post stated.
Evans’s cause of death has not been determined and an investigation is ongoing, officials said.
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