Missing hiker found dead atop glacier on California mountain

A hiker who had gone missing while exploring a mountain in California was later found on top of a glacier, according to authorities.

Alan Stringer, 40, of Huntington Beach, failed to return home on Monday after setting off on Nov. 3 to hike in the area near Bishop, California, about 300 miles north, according to the Inyo County Sheriff's Office.

Stringer, who was described as an "experienced hiker" had not disclosed the details of his hiking plans or the routes he planned to take, but rescue crews used information that he had recently purchased an ice ax and crampons and participated in mountaineering training courses to narrow down the search, authorities said.

Sheriff's deputies located Stringer’s vehicle at North Lake early Tuesday morning and crews began searching for him aerially in the area, according to the sheriff's office.

A forensic analysis of Stringer’s cell phone activity revealed only one call very early Sunday in the Bishop area, before his planned hike. He was only equipped with gear for hiking during the day and had an InReach satellite communication device, but he never activated it, according to the sheriff's office.

After more aerial searches on Wednesday, Stringer was found dead by workers of the Sequoia and Kings National Park on Thursday afternoon at the top of the Darwin glacier, near the base of the notch to go up Mount Darwin, authorities said.

Further information regarding Stringer's death was not immediately available. The Sequoia and Kings National Park is conducting the investigation and the recovery of his body, according to the sheriff's office.