Grand County search and rescue crews are suspending recovery efforts for the body of a hiker who died after falling 300 to 400 feet off of Arikaree Peak in late August.
Crews responded to reports of a hiker who had fallen off the Front Range thirteener west of Ward on Aug. 28, and eight emergency response agencies coordinated to try to recover the hiker but were stopped by adverse weather and dangerous terrain.
A doctor on board the helicopter during the first recovery attempt determined the hiker did not survive the fall, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The hiker’s name has not been released.
Crews again tried to recover the hiker’s body on Friday but could not safely access the area because of the terrain. Multiple agencies later decided to halt recovery efforts because of the extreme risks involved, sheriff’s officials said Thursday.
Search and rescue teams “made every possible effort” to safely reach the site, Grand County Search and Rescue Field Director Greg Foley said in a statement.