Search continues for Manhattan Beach hiker who went missing in Kings Canyon National Park

KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (KABC) -- A search continued Thursday for a 74-year-old Manhattan Beach resident who went missing during a backpacking trip in King's Canyon National Park in Central California.

Robert "Bob" Woodie was reported missing Tuesday, two days after he was supposed to have returned from a planned excursion, the National Parks Service said in a statement.

Woodie's route may have begun Oct. 13 in South Lake, just outside of Bishop, the news release said. An electronic check-in was received from his satellite message device on Saturday, when he was possibly at Barrett Lakes.

Snow fell above 10,500 feet in the area during the time period, with overnight temperatures falling below freezing.

Woodie, an experienced hiker who is familiar with the area, is white, 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs about 150 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes, according to NPS officials. He may be wearing a blue shell-type jacket, a baseball cap or floppy hat, and boots. He is said to be equipped with a possibly blue internal-frame backpack and no hiking poles.

Two helicopters and 20 field personnel scoured the rugged terrain on Wednesday, in a joint search effort conducted by the Parks Service and Inyo County Sheriff's Department.

Anyone who has been in the area since Oct. 13, or has information about Woodie's whereabouts, is asked to contact Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks at (559) 656-3117.