GRIM FIND

Missing Hiker Found Dead in Canyonlands National Park Amid Extreme Heat Warnings

The male walker was reported as overdue on Sunday night.

The body of a male hiker was found by search teams Tuesday after a man was reported missing in Canyonlands National Park. Concerns were raised with park officials Sunday when the man was overdue returning from an “easy” 6.4-mile hike on the Elephant Hill Trail in the Needles District of the park. After a search was launched involving staffers from Canyonlands’ and Mesa Verde’s National Park Service force, the body was discovered at around 10 a.m. The San Juan County Medical Examiner’s Office will now determine an exact cause of death. Officials again recommended that park visitors make provisions for extreme heat by bringing lots of water and restricting activity to cooler times of the day. Past weather data for the park shows scorching highs of 102 F were hit on Sunday and Monday before a slight relief to 99 F on Tuesday.