Police confirmed on Tuesday that human remains found in the mountains above Ørsta on Norway’s northwest coast are that of a 25-year-old woman from Poland who set off on what was supposed to be short hike in November 2018. She never returned.
DNA analysis of the remains found by another hiker on June 5 matched those of Maja Justyna Herner, who had arrived in Ørsta just a week earlier to work in a cleaning firm. She was last seen in a grocery store and sent messages to friends that she was going for a hike. Her car was found parked near a popular trailhead, and her disappearance set off a major search effort.
It’s suspected she had an accident while out hiking. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that another hiker last week had found the remains of a foot in a shoe that was of the same model that Herner was wearing when she disappeared. Emergency crews were sent back to the area to search for more remains but it was difficult because of lots of snow. Her mobile phone has been placed higher than where the shoe was found, indicating she fell down an embankment.
Police reported that both the woman’s family and the Polish Embassy in Oslo have been notified.
newsinenglish.no staff
