Missing Canadian hiker found dead 2 weeks after vanishing during mountain trek in Washington

A massive search for a missing Canadian hiker ended Monday after authorities recovered the remains of the 34-year-old in Washington's Twin Sisters mountain range nearly two weeks after he vanished.

The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office said Gursimran Singh, of British Columbia, had been missing since late June after failing to return home from a hike in the Twin Sisters mountains. Search and rescue crews received a report of a possible sighting Sunday, leading them back to the area Monday with the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team and the Bellingham Mountain Rescue Council.

"Sadly, this was a recovery mission," the sheriff's office said in a statement announcing Singh's death. "Our heartfelt condolences to Gursimran's family, friends and loved ones during this painful time. We are so sorry for your loss."

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Authorities first asked the public for help on July 1 after Singh failed to return to his home in British Columbia three days earlier. Investigators said his last known location was South Twin, one of the two main peaks in the Twin Sisters mountain range, where he was believed to have been rock scrambling. His vehicle was later found along Middle Fork Road.

The search soon grew as mountain rescue teams from across Washington joined local crews to search the steep mountain terrain.

Helicopters flew rescuers to South Twin Sister to search Sisters Glacier on foot while drones and aircraft from U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations searched from the air.

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After Sunday's reported sighting, crews returned to the mountain Monday morning, where they found Singh's remains.

"We are deeply grateful to all who contributed time, expertise and resources throughout this mission," the sheriff's office said.

Singh's death comes just days after authorities recovered the body of another overdue hiker, Steven Dorsett, in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Whatcom County.