An Air France pilot has died in California during a stopover, the airline confirmed.
The body of Tom Gerbier, a Boeing 777 co-pilot , was found by a rescue helicopter in an area of the park known as ” The Notch” after the area’s search and rescue service issued an appeal to find the passionate hiker.
The pilot had traveled to Los Angeles on Monday on Air France flight AF66 from Paris and headed directly from the airport to prepare for his hike to the summit of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the country outside of Alaska.
He headed out on the 4.5-hour drive from Los Angeles to Mount Whitney, where he would rest for the night and have a fresh start the next morning.
According to local media reports, it appeared he had slipped and fell about 1,000 feet (304 meters) to his death. His body was recovered Thursday evening and transferred to Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, who confirmed his identity.
The local sheriff’s department said Gerbier did not return from his day hike as planned and then failed to show up for his flight back to France, leading to the cancellation of the trip. Air France AF77 Wednesday evening.