A 62-year-old physician from Kentucky who went missing while hiking in Alaska after leaving a Norwegian cruise ship has been found dead, authorities reported on Thursday, July 3. Marites Buenafe was located by an Alaska Army National Guard helicopter crew about 1,700 feet below the ridge of Gold Ridge.
Buenafe, a family medicine doctor with the University of Kentucky HealthCare system in Lexington, was traveling solo on the Norwegian Bliss. She disembarked from the ship on the morning of July 1, 2025, to go hiking alone in Juneau, Alaska. Around 7:30 a.m. local time, she texted her family, saying she intended to ride the Mount Roberts Tramway and hike from Gold Ridge to Gastineau Peak.
Surveillance cameras showed Buenafe at the summit of the Mount Roberts Tramway at roughly the same time she sent her last message to her family. The Norwegian Bliss was set to leave Juneau at 1:30 p.m. that afternoon, but Buenafe did not return to board the ship by the designated time.
When she failed to make it back, her family notified authorities of her disappearance at around 3:15 p.m. Local law enforcement was then alerted, prompting an immediate search.
Multiple agencies combined resources for a search that extended over three days. Juneau Mountain Rescue teams conducted ground searches and used thermal drones to scan the challenging terrain. Helicopter crews from the Alaska State Troopers and the U.S. Coast Guard also flew over the area. On July 2, more than a dozen experienced volunteers from Juneau Mountain Rescue and SEADOGS collaborated with state troopers and Juneau police, utilizing drones, K-9 units, and ground searchers.
Adverse weather on July 2 hampered helicopter searches, with poor visibility and rain making flying difficult. On July 3, clearer weather enabled expanded aerial search efforts.
At 11:56 a.m. on July 3, an Alaska Army National Guard helicopter team found Buenafe’s body below Gold Ridge. State troopers and Juneau Mountain Rescue, with help from Temsco Helicopters and the National Guard, recovered her remains. Her family was informed, and her body was taken to the state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.
The hiking path from Gold Ridge to Gastineau Peak is a well-trafficked yet demanding 4.1-mile trail that usually takes about three hours to finish. The spot where Buenafe was discovered is located in mountainous terrain south of downtown Juneau, where snow can still linger on some peaks as late as July.
Buenafe earned her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Ohio and completed her family medicine residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. With over twenty years of medical experience, she was a family medicine physician at Albert B. Chandler Hospital, according to University of Kentucky HealthCare’s website.
The Mount Roberts Tramway is a favored destination for visitors in Juneau, offering easy access to hiking trails with panoramic views of the downtown area. Its convenient location near the cruise docks and its scenic outlook make it especially popular with cruise travelers.
Norwegian Cruise Line officials confirmed their full cooperation with local authorities throughout the search. A representative for the cruise line said the company was “deeply saddened by the loss of the guest” and that their CARE team was supporting Buenafe’s family during this ordeal.
The Norwegian Bliss was on a weeklong round-trip cruise in Alaska, departing Seattle on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Juneau was the third planned stop, with the voyage including several ports in Alaska and Canada before returning to Seattle.
The Alaska Department of Public Safety underscored the importance of safety measures for those hiking in remote areas. Officials recommend hikers inform someone of their route, estimated return time, and clothing details before heading out, and advise carrying extra communication tools in areas with spotty cell reception.
Alaska State Troopers expressed their appreciation for all the volunteers and partner agencies involved in the search and rescue mission, including Juneau Mountain Rescue professionals, SEADOGS, the Juneau Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Alaska Army National Guard, and Temsco Helicopters.