Missing hiker: Newport Beach man missing for 9 days in Sequoia National Park

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TULARE COUNTY, Calif. - A desperate search is underway for a Newport Beach hiker who disappeared in the Sierra Nevada.

According to park officials, 43-year-old Matt Thoke was last seen July 21 at about 1 p.m. while leaving the High Sierra Trail in Sequoia National Park.

Thoke had split from his group during a wilderness trip and was hiking from Bearpaw to Crescent Meadow when he walked off-trail without his pack, park officials said.

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Thoke is about six feet fall and weighs about 160 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes, according to park officials.

"We are very optimistic and hopeful that the NPS will bring Matt Thoke home," Matt's wife Lisa Thok said in a statement. "We appreciate the passion, care, and strategy they have for this mission. I truly believe his love for life and people are what’s keeping him going strong and alive. He is extraordinarily loved, not just by me, but by hundreds of family members and friends and everyone he’s touched throughout his life and all over the world. We can’t wait to get him back into our arms, so he continues to bring joy and impact others positively as he’s always done."

Anyone with information on the missing Newport Beach man is asked to call 888-677-2746.