Missing Edina Hiker's Body Found at Yosemite National Park

The body of a 73-year-old Edina hiker who went missing Sunday at Yosemite National Park was recovered Tuesday afternoon, according to Park Rangers.

Kenneth Stensby—who set off on a day hike early Sunday morning en route to Vernal Fall—was fatally injured after falling from a cliff near the top of the waterfall. His body was discovered by Yosemite National Park Search and Rescue Rangers and was extricated at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 7.

Stensby had been in the park for several days and was staying at the Ahwahnee Hotel. He left a note early Sunday morning with hotel staff, letting them know he would be leaving for the hike early and expected to be back by noon.

When the avid Edina hiker did not return to the hotel by 5 p.m., hotel staff attempted to contact him. They then contacted the National Park Service, who dispatched Park Rangers to Vernal Fall to search for him. They reportedly found his backpack near the guardrail at the top of Vernal Fall on Sunday evening.

Monday, the park conducted a full-scale search and rescue operation, including multiple ground teams, a dog team and a California Highway Patrol helicopter. The crew in the helicopter, working alongside ground teams, spotted Stensby's body at 6 p.m. Monday evening.

The Mist Trail, which stretches from Happy Isles to the top of Vernal Fall, has been reopened following the conclusion of the search and rescue operation. 

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