Missing Post Falls hunter found dead on cliff face

Searchers have recovered the body of a Post Falls hunter that went missing in the North Idaho woods Monday.

Edward A. Hempel, 63, was found dead Wednesday night on the face of a cliff about half a mile from where he last was seen in the Bernard Peak area, a densely wooded, mountainous area in the northeast corner of the county, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said. The body, several hundred feet down from a ridge, was recovered Thursday morning.

The 36th Rescue Squadron helicopter crew from Fairchild Air Force Base spotted the body. A helicopter crew from Flathead County, Montana, with specialized equipment and training was called in to assist in the recovery. A sheriff’s marine unit at the base of the mountain along the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille received the body.

Hempel’s family was notified Thursday morning. An autopsy will be conducted.

Hempel and a hunting partner split up about 1 p.m. Monday and planned to meet again several hours later, but Hempel didn’t show up.

“The sheriff’s office expresses our condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Hempel and offers gratitude to the dedicated searchers that aided in his recovery,” Sheriff Ben Wolfinger said in a statement.