Ketchikan, Alaska – Searchers on Sunday located the body of a snowboarder missing near Ketchikan since March.

The body of Michael Madden, 35, was recovered on Sunday by members of the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad (KVRS) after being first spotted by aircraft on Saturday in the “Fin” area of Deer Mountain. While a cause of death cannot be determined, Madden is presumed to have perished in an avalanche on March 12 when he went missing during a solo snowboard outing in the area.

Madden, who grew up in the Ketchikan area, was last spotted around noon on March 12 as he headed up the mountain just below the second overlook, reporting that the snow was deeper that when he ascended the mountain the week before and wished he had snowshoes, but was continuing slowly up the trail. Search teams were able to reach the north face of the mountain late that night before being turned around due to high winds and avalanche danger.

Searchers from KVRS, Alaska State Troopers and SEADOGS of Juneau, Alaska, used dog teams to look for Madden for more than a week in snow up to 20 feet deep before suspending their search on March 20.

“The area covered by search crews in some very difficult weather was amazing,” Jerry Kiffer of KVRS acknowledged at the conclusion of the March search effort.