NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the body of a hiker who was discovered off a back-country trail near North Vancouver yesterday belongs to Jasper Houben.

The 22-year-old German exchange-student was reported missing on Monday.

His family had flown in from Germany to help in the search for him when hikers discovered the body and told RCMP.

Investigators and friends put up posters, launched a social media campaign, and walked the streets of Vancouver looking for him.

The BC Coroner says Houben’s death underscores the risks posed to hikers on the North Shore, and highlights the need for hikers to inform themselves about the terrain’s dangers, and be prepared for the environment and make sure to let people know where you are heading, and when you plan to be home from a hike.