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2w ago

Third Hunter Found Dead in Colorado’s South San Juan Wilderness

Investigators await autopsy findings to determine the cause of death.

CREEDE, COLORADO - AUGUST 7: A jeep makes its way slowly along the difficult and technical 4x4 road leading to the Wheeler Geologic Area in the Rio Grande National Forest on August 7, 2020 near Creede, Colorado. The Wheeler Geologic Area is a highly eroded outcropping of layers of volcanic ash, in the La Garita Mountains of Mineral County. The ash is the result of eruptions from the La Garita Caldera approximately 25 million years ago. The unique area is one of the most fascinating geological features in the San Juan Mountains. The geologic formations are contained in a tiny 60-acre section of the Rio Grande National Forest. In this area a mound of volcanic ash has eroded into a bizarre and beautiful landscape. It is now part of the La Garita Wilderness and administered by the Rio Grande National Forest. Lying just below the crest of the range at an elevation of 11,960 feet and can be reached either by an 8.4-mile hike on the East Bellows Trail (FS790), or by a difficult 14 mile four-wheel drive road. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
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Overview

  • A 54-year-old man from Tennessee was found deceased late Friday in a remote area of the South San Juan Wilderness, according to the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office.
  • Hunters called for help around 11:23–11:30 p.m. reporting CPR in progress, but search and rescue teams arrived to find the man had died.
  • Hazardous nighttime conditions prevented a helicopter recovery, and teams with a Flight for Life aircraft retrieved the body at first light Saturday.
  • An autopsy by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office is pending to determine the cause of death, and the man’s name is being withheld until family is notified.
  • The death follows the recent fatalities of Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, both 25, who were confirmed to have been killed by lightning in the same general area, as officials urge backcountry users to be well-prepared and note no broader threat to the public.