Alaska Department Of Public Safety,State Troopers Public Information Office

Dispatch Text:

UPDATE 7/3 8:30 pm: On July 3, 2025, at 11:56 am, an Alaska Army National Guard helicopter crew located Marites’ body approximately 1,700 feet below the ridge line of Gold 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. Wildlife Troopers would like to thank all of the volunteers and agencies that assisted with this search and rescue. 

UPDATE 7/3: Today, ground and aerial search teams will continue their search for Marites Buenafe. Yesterday, July 2nd, over a dozen professional volunteers from Juneau Mountain Rescue and SEADOGS joined Troopers and Juneau Police Officers for an extensive search using drones, K-9s, and ground teams, with no signs of Marites. Weather conditions allowed limited helicopter searches late in the day.

ORIGINAL: On July 1, 2025, Alaska Wildlife Troopers were notified around 3:20 p.m. of an overdue hiker near Mount Roberts. Marites Buenafe, 62, of Kentucky had gotten off a cruise ship that morning and told family she was going up the tram and planned to hike Gold Ridge to Gastineau Peak. Juneau Mountain Rescue conducted a ground search and utilized thermal drones. AWT Helo 5 and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter conducted aerial searches of the area. The search was paused overnight, but the Juneau Mountain Rescue and Southeast Alaska Dogs for Organized Ground Search resumed efforts on July 2. Aerial search assets were on standby until weather conditions improve.