Man found dead in Georgia days after going missing on hike

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. (AP) - A hikerwho went missing along a feeder route to the Appalachian Trail in northern Georgia has been found dead.

The body of Eddie Noonkester was discovered Wednesday afternoon near Len Foote Hike Inn in Dawson County, news outlets reported.

Noonkester had been missing since Friday, after he began a “thru-hike”. He had become “disoriented” on the hike, and may have been experiencing a medical emergency, Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services said.

Noonkester’s brother, Wesley, was present with search crews and authorities at Amicolola Falls State Park on Wednesday when the death was announced.

“It’s not the outcome that I had hoped for, but at the end of the day, our goal was to bring Eddie home and we were able to do that,” Wesley Noonkester said.

The cause of death had not been determined, Dawson County Fire Chief Danny Thompson said. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was expected to conduct an autopsy.

A “thru-hike” is an end-to-end backpacking trip on a long distance trail like the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Approach Trail is an 8-mile (13-kilometer) approach beginning the 78-mile (125-kilometer) Georgia portion of the Appalachian.