Missing Ty Sauer Update: Body Found At Shenandoah National Park Believed To Be Of NJ Teen

The search for a missing 18-year-old boy has been suspended after rescue teams found human remains, believed to be of the teen, at the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

Officials believe the body belonged to Ty Sauer, from Union Beach, New Jersey, who went missing Thursday. The remains were found by searchers around 2.55 p.m. Monday, the park announced in a statement.

Sauer was last seen on Skyline Drive, the main thoroughfare that traverses the more than 300-acre national park. The remains were found about 2 miles from the spot, park spokesperson Claire Comer said.

The body has been sent to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Manassas for identification and to determine the cause of death.

While the officials revealed very less information about the circumstances behind Sauer's disappearance, the search operations were mainly focused on the six trails considered "high probability areas" based on "clues and lost person behavior analysis," local daily Asbury Park Press reported.

Soon after the teen was reported missing, the Shenandoah National Park and Virginia Department of Emergency Management began a search. The team involved 68 search and rescue personnel, additional support staff and three dog teams. A Park Police helicopter was deployed for an aerial search. More than a dozen volunteer search and rescue groups were also involved in the operation.

The search was called off after the remains were discovered Monday.

Following Sauer's disappearance, the park had closed down six trails and their surrounding areas "until further notice" to limit the "potential for scent contamination."

The Shenandoah National Park, which runs down the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, features wetlands, waterfalls and rocky peaks like Hawksbill and Old Rag mountains. The park, which boasts of a rich array of native plants and animals, had recently announced virtual tour facilities.

In a similar incident, two hikers who went missing in Maine's Acadia National Park were found dead last month. The park authorities believe the 28-year-old man and 30-year-old woman, hailing from Massachusetts, may have fallen from an ice-covered cliff on Dorr Mountain. Their remains were recovered by search and rescue workers two days after they were reported missing.