A lengthy search for a missing British Columbia hiker ended in tragedy Monday, July 13, when searchers located the body of Gursimran Singh in the mountains of Whatcom County. Singh, a British Columbia resident, had been overdue since June 29 after failing to return from a hiking trip. His last known location was in the Twin Sisters area of the North Cascades.
How the Search Unfolded
The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office coordinated the search effort, which stretched across more than two weeks and drew on resources from multiple agencies. On Sunday, July 12, Search and Rescue was notified of a reported sighting of Singh. Acting on that information, a follow-up mission was launched Monday morning.
The recovery mission involved the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team and the Bellingham Mountain Rescue Council, a volunteer organization that regularly assists in technical rescues throughout the Cascades. The helicopter team provided aerial support to reach difficult terrain in the Twin Sisters area, a remote mountain range southeast of Bellingham straddling the Whatcom and Skagit county line.
The sheriff's office confirmed Monday that the mission had become a recovery operation, meaning Singh had not survived. "Sadly, this was a recovery mission," the sheriff's office stated. "Our heartfelt condolences to Gursimran's family, friends and loved ones during this painful time. We are so sorry for your loss."
The Twin Sisters Area and Search Challenges
The Twin Sisters range sits in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and rises to elevations above 6,000 feet. The area is popular with experienced hikers and climbers but involves significant route-finding challenges, steep terrain, and limited trail infrastructure. Cell service is virtually nonexistent in the backcountry zones, making self-rescue extremely difficult for anyone who becomes injured or disoriented.
Searches in this terrain are resource-intensive. Steep slopes, dense forest, and variable weather all complicate ground searches, which is why helicopter support from agencies like the Snohomish County team is often critical to covering large areas efficiently. The Bellingham Mountain Rescue Council, which is made up of trained volunteers, provides technical rope and wilderness rescue capability that goes beyond what general SAR teams can accomplish in rugged alpine environments.
Singh had been missing since June 28, 2026, when he set out on his hiking trip. Two weeks is an extended search window, reflecting both the difficulty of the terrain and the commitment of the agencies and volunteers who kept looking.
A Season of Difficult Searches in Whatcom County
Singh's death comes within days of another recovery in the region. On July 11, searchers located the body of a missing Bellingham man in the Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. That hiker had also been missing for more than two weeks. The back-to-back recoveries underscore how unforgiving the Cascade backcountry can be, even for experienced outdoor enthusiasts.
Whatcom County emergency managers and outdoor safety advocates regularly remind hikers to file trip plans with a trusted contact, carry a personal locator beacon, and check in with Whatcom County emergency resources before heading into remote terrain. A personal locator beacon, which can be rented from many outdoor retailers, allows rescuers to locate a missing person even without cell service and can dramatically shorten response times in life-threatening situations.
The sheriff's office expressed deep gratitude to all the agencies and individuals who contributed to the search. "We are deeply grateful to all who contributed time, expertise and resources throughout this mission," the office said in a statement. For a recent overview of search and rescue activity in the broader region, earlier coverage of missing persons cases in Whatcom County provides additional context.
