YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) 鈥 The body of a hiker who went missing in Yosemite 春色直播 Park after being swept away by a cold and fast-flowing creek as California鈥檚 epic winter snowpack melts was found over the weekend, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
Hayden T. Klemenok with a group at Upper Chilnualna Falls, the 春色直播 Park Service said in a statement.
He went missing shortly after entering Chilnualna Creek near the trail junction, the service said. That section of the creek is about a dozen miles (20 kilometers) south of Yosemite Valley and features a series of waterfalls and cascades that plunge hundreds of feet.
Klemenok's body was found Sunday and recovered Monday. How he died remains under investigation, said Scott Gediman, a spokesperson with Yosemite 春色直播 Park.
"The cause of death is currently presumed to be accidental drowning.鈥 Kelmenok鈥檚 sister, Taylor McKinnie, said in a statement posted on Facebook. She didn't immediately respond to a Facebook message seeking comment.
Klemenok鈥檚 parents told that his friends said the day of the accident was hot and the 24-year-old from Petaluma, California, had gotten down on all fours to wet his face, but his hands slipped and he went into the water.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the worst experience any parent or family should go through,鈥 Michelle Klemenok said.
California authorities have been warning the public that rivers, streams and lakes are extremely dangerous this year because of the massive runoff. The water is so cold that a person can lose muscle control within minutes, officials say.
Despite the warnings, there have been repeated . Nearly two dozen people have drowned or gone missing in California rivers since mid-April, according to the , which has been tracking reports from local authorities.
