WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A missing hiker from Canada was found dead on Mount Baker following an extensive search.

Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) spokesperson Deb Slater says deputies received a report of the missing 39-year-old climber from Squamish, B.C. on Sunday, Sept. 29. His family said they had lost contact with him after he embarked on a solo climb on Mount Baker’s Coleman-Deming route two days prior.

Bellingham Mountain Rescue, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Customs and Border Protection and the US Navy assisted in search efforts for the missing hiker. The search was made through darkness, steep slopes and rough weather before the climber was finally found in a crevasse near his emergency location device.

Bellingham Mountain Rescue retrieved the body on Monday, Sept. 30, and the Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death.

WCSO says the incident underscores the importance of emergency location devices, such as the Garmin inReach which was proved to be critical in the search effort.