Mark Meihofer Obituary, Death -The body of a 57-year-old man who had been reported missing on Monday was located in the Guana River Wildlife Management Area on Tuesday, according to the deputies of St. Johns County, who were conducting the search for the man. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office utilized a “tremendous amount of resources” Tuesday morning after an overnight search for Mark Meihofer on Monday was unsuccessful.
According to the officials at the park, Meihofer was a regular visitor to the park’s hiking trails. He lived in Ponte Vedra. During the search, the Sheriff’s Office made use of its bike unit, mounted unit, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).The search for Meihofer in Ponte Vedra began on Monday after an FWC patrol officer found Meihofer’s vehicle in the park after normal hours of operation. St. Johns County has confirmed that “marine assets” assisted in the search for Meihofer in Ponte Vedra. When Meihofer did not come back to his vehicle, the officer became concerned and contacted the Sheriff’s Office to report the situation.
During the night, deputies carried out a limited search, but once the sun came up on Tuesday, they collaborated with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to conduct a more extensive search. The joint operation continued until Meihofer’s body was found dead in the park on Tuesday afternoon. At that time, it was suspended. There is no evidence to support the hypothesis that he was killed. His body was removed from the park, and the Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy in order to determine the cause of death.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Wildlife Commission have released a joint statement in which they offer their sincere condolences to Mr. Meihofer’s family and friends and ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time. The statement was issued by the Sheriff’s Office of St. Johns County. “The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office would also like to thank all of our agency partners and personnel who worked tirelessly to locate Mr. Meihofer,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
David Johnson, who lives in Jacksonville, stated that he hikes the Guana trails once a week and that he was in the area on Tuesday to do so before learning that they were closed due to the investigation.
