A National Guard helicopter crew spotted Ben Le in a gully below a steep cliff near the remote community of Port Armstrong.
PORT ARMSTRONG, Alaska — A 22-year-old hiker who failed to return from a morning trip near a remote Southeast Alaska community was found dead after a three-day search involving ground crews, aircraft, rescue teams and federal and state agencies, authorities said.
Alaska Wildlife Troopers identified the hiker as Ben Le. Searchers recovered his body Thursday, Aug. 13, at the base of a tall cliff near Port Armstrong after a National Guard helicopter crew spotted a motionless person in a gully the previous day. Troopers returned to the location Thursday and confirmed the person was Le. His next of kin were notified.
Le had left for a planned day hike Monday, Aug. 10, and was expected to return by 4:30 p.m., according to authorities. He worked at a hatchery in Port Armstrong, a small community on the southeast side of Baranof Island. When Le did not return as planned, colleagues searched for him by land and boat before Alaska State Troopers became involved.
A formal search began Tuesday morning and brought together resources from several agencies. Participants included the Alaska National Guard, Juneau Mountain Rescue, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, the Sitka Fire Department Search and Rescue team, SEADOGS and the U.S. Coast Guard. Ground teams and aircraft searched through the day but did not locate Le.
Search crews stopped operations around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and resumed Wednesday morning with additional assistance from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center and a thermal drone team. Field and K9 teams from Sitka and Juneau later withdrew from the search, while aerial crews continued searching the rugged area.
The effort reached a turning point Wednesday when a National Guard helicopter crew spotted a body in a gully below a steep cliff near the area where Le was believed to have gone missing. Wildlife Troopers went back to the location Thursday and confirmed the identity before recovering the body.
Authorities have not publicly released a detailed account of what happened to Le during the hike or announced an official cause and manner of death. The location where he was found was described by officials as being at the base of a cliff, but officials have not publicly established the circumstances that led to his death.
The search drew significant resources because of the remote terrain around Port Armstrong. Teams used ground searches, aircraft and drone technology during the operation. The participation of local, state and federal agencies allowed crews to search both on foot and from the air as they narrowed the area where Le was believed to have traveled.
With Le’s body recovered and his family notified, the active search has ended. Authorities had not announced additional findings about the circumstances of his death as of Monday.
Author note: Last updated August 17, 2026.