This is a developing story and will be updated.
A search and rescue effort involving a number of emergency organizations and dozens of volunteers came to a tragic conclusion Friday when a woman missing since the previous Sunday was found dead.
Geraldine Nelson, 78, was found deceased approximately 100 yards from the Switzer Creek Trail on Friday afternoon, said Juneau Police Department Lt. Krag Campbell in a news release.
Nelson had been the subject of an ongoing search since she was reported missing on Sunday, May 16, 2021. Volunteers, as well as personnel from JPD, Alaska State Troopers, Southeast Alaska Dogs Organized for Ground Search, Juneau Mountain Rescue and the Coast Guard all participated in search and rescue operations.
Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska’s Tribal emergency operations center also supported operations, providing supplies and nourishment for volunteer searchers.
Nelson’s death is not considered suspicious, Campbell said. Nelson’s body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office in Anchorage for an autopsy, Campbell said.
In social media posts, multiple members of Nelson’s family thanked volunteers and the community for support and well wishes. The Juneau Police Department also thanked all those who assisted in the search.
• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.
