Body of missing cruise passenger found near hiking trail, officials say

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU/Gray News) - Search and rescue crews recovered the body of a missing cruise ship passenger who did not return from a hike last week, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Sixty-two-year-old Marites Buenafe, of Kentucky, arrived by cruise ship to Juneau last Tuesday morning.

Buenafe, a University of Kentucky employee, told her family she planned to take the tram and hike from Gold Ridge to Gastineau Peak, but she did not return, prompting a multi-day search.

Ground and aerial teams, consisting of members of Alaska Wildlife Troopers, the U.S. Coast Guard, Juneau Mountain Search and Rescue, and Southeast Alaska Dogs, searched the area using helicopters and thermal drones.

According to the Alaska Department of Public Safety, an Alaska Army National Guard Helicopter crew located Buenafe’s body around 11:56 a.m. Thursday, about 1,700 feet below the Gold Ridge ridgeline.

Buenafe’s kin has been notified. Her body will be sent to the state medical examiner’s office for autopsy.

The University of Kentucky provided a statement to WKYT, calling Buenafe “a beloved physician by both her co-workers and her patients.”

“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken over the tragic passing of Dr. Marites ‘Tess’ Buenafe. Dr. Buenafe was a beloved physician by both her co-workers and her patients at University Health Service (UHS) at the University of Kentucky where she had worked for nearly 10 years. She was known for her compassion, her love of the outdoors and her many interests and talents outside of medicine including being an accomplished pianist and learning the guitar. Her dedication to patient care, her thoroughness as a physician and her caring and kind spirit will be truly missed,” Dr. Scott Black, clinical director at University Health Service at the University of Kentucky, said.

Department of Public Safety spokesperson Austin McDaniel said for those planning to travel in the backcountry, it is important to inform somebody about the destination, planned return time and a clothing description.

McDaniel also said people should also consider bringing an additional communication device in case there is no cell service.