The body of missing hiker Noah “Kekai” Mina was located and recovered Wednesday, ending an emotional 10-day search that unfolded in the shadow of another Maui hiker’s unlikely return from the wilderness.

A volunteer search team spotted Mina’s body via private helicopter about 300 feet below a “fall line” — the most direct route down a mountain — in the summit region of Mauna Kahalawai, also known as the West Maui Mountains.

“We are so very sorry that Kekai has passed from this realm,” Mina’s father Vincent, mother Irene and sister Kahanulani said in a statement posted to a Facebook page devoted to the search for Mina. “He meant the world to us as a son, brother and friend. We find solace that he was found, and ask all those that extended their hearts and love to Kekai and to us, that you pause, and take a moment to love and hold those that are dear to you a moment longer than you would normally do.

“We are so fortunate to have had the time here physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, with him,” the post read. “Those that know Kekai understand what we’re talking about. He made a profound difference in ours and many other’s lives. He is our sunshine.”

The helicopter search team that found Mina’s body included state Department of Land and Natural Resources biologist Keahi Bustamente and fellow volunteers Hookahi Alves and Hank Oppenheimer.

Mina, 35, was reported missing on May 20 after going for a hike on the Kapilau Ridge Trail in the West Maui Forest Reserve. Vincent Mina previously explained that his son went hiking “seeking clarity” in the aftermath of a serious physical illness that affected his mental health.

Slippers believed to belong to Mina were found at the 2,500-foot level early in the search and crews left water and food at the site in case Mina returned to the area. Subsequent checks found the provisions still intact.

The surprise rescue May 24 of Amanda Eller, a 35-year-old physical therapist who was missing for 17 days after losing her way in the Makawao Forest Reserve, raised hopes that Mina might also be found alive.

As in the Eller case, family and friends turned to social media and crowdsourcing to support the search effort. In addition to the Facebook page, a GoFundMe page also was established to cover the cost of helicopter rentals and other search-related expenses. More than $61,000 was raised before the drive was closed.

The tactical and logistics team that drove the Eller rescue effort — Javier Cantellops, Chris Berquist and Elena Pray — volunteered as consultants for the Mina search after Eller was rescued.

But as Cantellops noted Wednesday, the Mina search was fundamentally different given the more inaccessible terrain involved. Whereas more than a hundred volunteers were dispatched in a ground search of the Makawao Forest Reserve, the search for Mina was largely limited to the air.

Cantellops said that even though he did not know Mina personally, the experience of looking for Eller made the impact of Wednesday’s news all the more emotional.

“I got the text in the morning and I wept so hard,” he said. “I know what it’s like to have someone missing, what it’s like to wonder. I thank God that there is closure for Kekai’s family and friends.”