Body of missing Yosemite hiker Hayden Klemenok located, family says

YOSEMITE, Calif. - The body of a 24-year-old backpacker who went missing in Yosemite has been found, according to loved ones.

The family of Hayden Klemenok, of Petaluma, were notified on Sunday that his body was located, his older sister, Taylor McKinnie, shared on Facebook.

"Due to the complexity of his location, it took another 24 hours to formally recover him," McKinnie said in the post.

She said the investigation into his death is ongoing, "but the cause of death is currently presumed to be accidental drowning."

Klemenok had been reported missing on July 2 after hiking with a group of friends at Upper Chilnualna Fall in Yosemite for the holiday weekend.

His mother, Michelle Klemenok, previously told KTVU that her son had slipped and fell while kneeling near a creek. Friends told the family that the young man was on his hands and knees so he could dip his head and hat into the water before he slipped and fell into the water.

Michelle Klemenok said that her son's friends did what they could do, but the area where he fell was in horrible terrain, and they couldn't get to him in time.

The family plans to provide information about Klemenok's memorial service at a later time.

McKinnie wrote that Klemenok was an "irreplaceable, unforgettable brother and son whom we cherish and immeasurably miss." Adding, "We will never stop loving our Hayden, and today, are finally able to say we are all leaving Yosemite ‘together.'"

Klemenok had recently graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in business finance, and the 24-year-old had been working in real estate. He was the fourth youngest of five.