Body of missing cruise ship passenger recovered 1,700ft below ridge where she went solo hiking in Alaska

Mount Roberts and Juneau Waterfront - stock photo
A massive search was launched after the woman failed to return to the ship after a hike in Juneau (Image credit: Danny Lehman)

The body of a cruise ship passenger who went missing while on a solo hike in Alaska has been recovered, officials say.

Marites "Tess" Buenafe, 62, was on the Norwegian Bliss cruise ship docked in Juneau when she told family members she was going for a hike by herself. She was last heard from at around 7:30am on Tuesday, July 1, and said she planned to ride the Goldbelt Tram up Mount Roberts and hike Gold Ridge and Gastineau Peak.

A missing persons flyer distributed by Alaska State Trooper with details of Marites Buenafe

Buenafe, a Kentucky resident, was a passenger on the Norwegian Bliss (Image credit: Alaska State Trooper)

When Buenafe failed to return to the ship that afternoon, a large-scale search and rescue operation was launched using canine teams, helicopters, and drones. An update from Alaska State Troopers reports her body was spotted just before noon Thursday by an Alaska Army National Guard helicopter crew approximately 1,700ft (518m) below the ridge.

"Troopers and Juneau Mountain Rescue were able to recover her body with the assistance of Temsco Helicopters and the National Guard. Her next of kin have been notified, and her body will be sent to the state medical examiner's office for autopsy."

Buenafe was a resident of Kentucky and is listed as a doctor on the University of Kentucky Healthcare system's website.

The trail Buenafe planned to hike is described by AllTrails as a "moderately challenging" four-mile path that reaches elevations of around 1,900ft (580m).


Julia Clarke

Julia Clarke is a staff writer for Advnture.com and the author of the book Restorative Yoga for Beginners. She loves to explore mountains on foot, bike, skis and belay and then recover on the the yoga mat. Julia graduated with a degree in journalism in 2004 and spent eight years working as a radio presenter in Kansas City, Vermont, Boston and New York City before discovering the joys of the Rocky Mountains. She then detoured west to Colorado and enjoyed 11 years teaching yoga in Vail before returning to her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland in 2020 to focus on family and writing.