MOAB — A hiker discovered the body of a Moab man who had been missing for more than three months.
The remains of David Roy Brown, 37, were discovered 400 feet below a ridge near the Moab Rim on Sunday. Searchers had combed that area extensively in the days following Brown's disappearance on June 29 but didn't find anything.
"It's an extremely rough area. It's hard to climb around in there, to walk around in there, even from the air to see something from there," said Moab Police Chief Mike Navarre. "It's not surprising to me that we didn't find him on those first searches."
Brown's family issued a statement Wednesday confirming that his body was found. They thanked Navarre and his staff, plus the volunteers who searched for Brown.
"We are devastated by our loss of such a gifted young man. We will miss Dave's smile and sense of adventure," said Brown's sister, Wendi TeKamp.
"We are grateful for the volunteers at Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs, and Dave's many friends far and wide who helped us look for him. Blue skies, Dave. You are so loved and your incredible zest for life will be missed," she said.