Body of missing hiker found in Colorado months after his dog was rescued, officials say

A week after 27-year-old hiker Josh Hall went missing in a Colorado wilderness, searchers found his dog, Happy, 13 miles from the trailhead.

Hall had set out with Happy on a hike to Devil’s Thumb Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness when a snowstorm hammered the region Feb. 3, KMGH reported. More than 700 volunteers spent five months searching for him.

On Saturday, the Boulder County Coroner’s Office confirmed that searchers found Hall’s body Thursday near a stream 4.3 miles from the trailhead, sheriff’s officials wrote on Facebook.

“We are heartbroken for his friends and family,” officials wrote.

The sheriff’s office also posted a statement from Hall’s family thanking searchers for their efforts.

“In our darkest hour we have been reminded that there is so much light in this world,” the family wrote.

“Josh lived life to the fullest, always striving to learn, making others laugh and taking in the beauty of his surroundings,” the statement reads. “His adventurous spirit inspired all of us to try new things, meet new people, and explore new trails.”

A volunteer with Front Range Rescue Dogs found Hall’s body while preparing for a future organized search of the area, KUSA reported.

Hall’s cause of death remains under investigation, coroner’s officials told KMGH.

This story was originally published July 5, 2021 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Body of missing hiker found in Colorado months after his dog was rescued, officials say."