Hiker who missed his camping trip found dead in Colorado wilderness

The hiker was found dead Monday afternoon following search and rescue efforts near Shoshoni Peak in the park, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. His family had reported him missing when he did not return from his camping trip near Lake Isabelle that morning.

According to the sheriff's office, officers found the camper's vehicle in the Brainard Lake parking lot and initiated a search operation that included a ground team, dogs and a helicopter. A dead man was found around 5:30 p.m., but the body could not be recovered that night due to the unsafe conditions of the location and difficult terrain.

Brainard Lake is located south of Rocky Mountain National Park and about 25 miles west of Boulder.

The body was recovered by helicopter by Colorado Fire Protection officials on Tuesday and transported to the county sheriff's office and coroner's office, the press release said.