MISSING hiker Chris Palmer is believed to be dead, his family has said, after investigators located his belongings.

His father Bren has issued an emotional statement confirming the end of the search for his son after he discovered a heartbreaking truth about his son’s final days.

Chris Palmer, 39, and his dog Zoey were declared missing after his abandoned truck was found in the Outer Banks in North Carolina on January 12Credit: National Park Service
 

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Christopher’s father Bren (R) revealed that his son had unknowingly to the family, been diagnosed with a terminal illness and is believed to have committed suicideCredit: Facebook
Chris, 39, from Arkansas, was last seen exploring North Carolina’s Outer Banks with his dog Zoey before he was declared missing on January 16, days after officials found his abandoned Ford F-250 on January 12.

The case quickly took an eerie turn when investigators shared a new surveillance image of the truck from January 9 showing a blue and white kayak in the bed which was not there when they came across the vehicle.

His father revealed that the family hadn’t heard from the hiker, who was on a road trip through the National Parks, since the day the surveillance image was taken.

However, an emotional update given by Chris’ father on Saturday appears to solve the kayak riddle that had investigators stumped.

“With heavy hearts and profound sorrow, we, the family of Christopher Palmer, have made the difficult decision to request that all active search efforts for our son cease,” he wrote on Facebook.

“We recently learned that Christopher was facing a terminal illness.”

He noted how his son’s personal belongings were found along the coastline and “our family believes he perished at sea”.

Chris’ body, his kayak, and his dog, have not yet been found or recovered.

His father has said that the family have managed to find a level of “peace” after learning of Chris’ diagnosis, saying “knowing this has helped us understand the choices he made.”

“Christopher loved the outdoors and valued his independence. The treatments ahead would have taken much of that away, and he did not want that future for himself,” he wrote.

“We are deeply proud of the man Christopher was, and we hope his story brings awareness to the emotional and mental burdens people can face during serious medical challenges.

“We would like to thank the United Cajun Navy and every volunteer, first responder, and community member who searched for our son.

“It has been profoundly humbling to see so many people care for someone they never met.

“Our family is at peace and asks that Christopher’s memory and the safety of others be respected as we seek closure.”

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.

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Palmer was on a National Parks road trip with his beloved dog when it is thought he took himself out to seaCredit: Facebook/Bren Palmer
 

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Investigators were initially stumped after a CCTV image showed a kayak in the back of his vehicle which was not there when they found itCredit: National Park Service