MISSING

19-Year-Old Hiker Vanishes From Popular New Hampshire Trail

Emily Sotelo, who turns 20 this week, was dropped off on Sunday morning to hike in a state park. She was not dressed for the cold weather that followed, officials said.

Authorities in New Hampshire have asked for the public’s help in locating a 19-year-old woman who is “overdue” to return from a Sunday hike in a national park. Emily Sotelo was dropped off that morning at the Lafayette Place Campground in Franconia Notch State Park, with an intended itinerary of traversing Mount Lafayette, Mount Haystack, and Mount Flume. More than 15 search-and-rescue crews were searching for Sotelo on Monday, according to WMUR-TV. State officials said Sotelo was not dressed for the cold weather that swept through New Hampshire on Sunday, with temperatures at higher elevations nearing zero, with a wind-chill factor dropping close to 30 below. WMUR-TV reported that Sotelo, who is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 115 pounds, is due to turn 20 on Wednesday. State conservation officers said she was last seen wearing a brown jacket and exercise pants. Anyone who might have seen Sotelo along the trail is encouraged to contact New Hampshire State Police Dispatch at 603-271-1170.