Liang Jin's body found on North Shore mountains

Liang Jin's body was found by his family in the Hanes Valley in North Vancouver's Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, authorities say. 

The 21-year-old Vancouver hiker was reported missing when he had not returned from a hike he apparently went on New Year's Eve. Massive search efforts on the North Shore mountains at the time were unsuccessful and were eventually called off. 

But it appears his family and friends were determined to find him — even after North Shore Rescue had to save two men who went looking for him in treacherous, winter conditions.

Now, it appears the family's efforts paid off. 

"On Feb. 16, 2015, continued search efforts by family and friends led to the discovery of Mr. Jin in a boulder field in the Hanes Valley," said the B.C. Coroners Service in a statement. 

His body was recovered on Tuesday, a month after he was reported missing. Foul play has now been ruled out.

Mike Danks, a team leader with North Shore Rescue, said the area in which Jin's body was located was a "very challenging terrain to search in," but rescuers are relieved that his body has been found. 

"In the winter these areas get covered up so he went out into the area just before a very large snowfall, so right away that presents a huge challenge for us," he said.

"It is a very vast area with very large boulders," Danks says, "we're talking about boulders that are the size of a vehicle or a truck, so these are very large and they have quite open caves underneath them."