A search for two missing hikers was officially called off Friday night at Cape Flattery, as search and rescue efforts could not locate them, according to authorities.
The two hikers, Jeffery Hunter, 53, and Florin Grigoriu, 44, went missing the same week but the disappearances appeared to be unrelated, according to the Clallam County sheriff's office.
Search and rescue efforts started Thursday at the Cape Flattery trailhead for both men, but after a 36-hour search that shut down the trail, authorities found no trace of them, Clallam County Undersheriff Lorraine Shore said.
Hunter, from Columbus, Ohio, parked his car on July 16 at the Cape Flattery parking area and did not return, according to the sheriff's office. Hunter was on a road trip, but no one had seen or heard from him in several days, since he got a permit to be on Makah tribal land on July 16, according to the sheriff's office.
Grigoriu, from Kirkland, is also missing. He rented a vehicle in Port Angeles and arrived at the same trailhead on July 21. Grigoriu left his cellphone in his car, and no one had heard from him since, according to the sheriff's office. Grigoriu had been experiencing mental health issues, according to his family and the sheriff's office.
Local agencies, the FBI and the Coast Guard used ground, marine, technical and canine search-and-rescue teams to sweep the area looking for the hikers. They searched beaches, coves and caverns, Shore said.
The Cape Flattery trail has since reopened to the public. It's about 1.5 miles round-trip on Makah tribal land, according to the Washington Trails Association. The rugged coastline of Washington's northwestern-most point is notorious for slick rocks and treacherous waves.
If you see either man, or have any information on their whereabouts, the sheriff's office encourages you to call 911 or Clallam County dispatchers at 360-417-2459.
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