Update: Missing hiker found dead after falling near Mendenhall Glacier
- Jasz Garrett
- 19 hours ago
- 2 min read
Thomas Casey, 69, was located by ground and dog search teams after tracking his cellphone
By Jasz Garrett
Juneau Independent
Thomas Casey, 69, was found deceased on Monday after falling off-trail near the Mendenhall Glacier, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Casey, an Arizona resident, was last seen on Saturday morning in Juneau. On Sunday at 9:30 a.m., Alaska State Troopers were notified he was overdue from a hike. No details about where he was going or when he would be back were provided.
Casey's phone was pinged. It returned to a remote spot between Thunder Mountain Trail and Nugget Creek Trail. Juneau Mountain Rescue and Southeast Alaska Dogs Organized for Ground Search were contacted. Three dog teams and six ground searchers started looking at the trailheads and the location of the phone ping. On Monday at 5 p.m., the search teams located Casey on the west side of the glacier, off the trail. He is believed to have died from injuries sustained from his fall, according to the AST press release.
The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center and Apple emergency services provided the updated location for the cellphone. Casey's body is being sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office. Next of kin has been notified.
Original story 08/31/2025:
A missing person notice for Thomas Casey, 69, who is living in Juneau this summer and apparently departed on a hike Saturday morning, was issued Sunday by the Juneau Police Department.
"(He) left yesterday for a hike on an unknown trail," the alert posted on JPD’s social media sites states. "Thomas hasn’t returned and is not answering his cell phone."
People with information about Casey are asked to call the Alaska State Troopers at (907) 465-4000.
Additional comments at the JPD site note he is living in employee housing on Mendenhall Loop Road, is about 5’10” and 150 pounds, and is an experienced hiker.
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356. Mark Sabbatini contributed to this story.
