LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON — Detectives have identified a skeletal human foot found inside a hiking boot by climbers in 2015 as belonging to Corry Ehlers, a hiker who went missing in 2012.
The 48-year-old Alta resident was last seen on May 21, 2012, when he told a friend he was going hiking in the Hellgate area.
A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter was used in the search for Ehlers in addition to ATVs and dogs.
In July of 2015, climbers found a boot. They thought it was trash, so they collected it with the intention of throwing it away. When they got home, however, they discovered the skeletal remains inside.
Search and rescue teams found some additional bones as they combed the steep, rocky spot near Alta Ski Resort but did not found a skull or anything to identify the victim at the time.
The boot was about 5 miles up the canyon. It is believed that Ehlers accidentally fell off a cliff. Unified police said Wednesday that all evidence from the area has been collected and no additional searches are planned.
— Pat Reavy