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A 23-year-old missing hiker was found dead at Rocky Mountain National Park [1]

['Carla Sinclair']

Date: 2024-05-17  

A 23-year-old hiker who went missing in Colorado this week was found dead at Rocky Mountain National Park yesterday. It appears he took a "significant fall," according to officials, via CNN.

Lucas Macaj, an experienced hiker, had hit the trails on Sunday, and by 1:00pm texted a friend to let them know he had reached the top of Longs Peak. But that was the last anyone had heard from him.

Soon after his text, heavy winds and a snowstorm hit the area. And by the late evening, when he didn't return home, "Macaj was reported overdue," according to a park statement. From CNN:

Lucas Macaj's body was recovered on Mills Glacier, near the base of Lamb's Slide … Macaj's vehicle was found Monday at the trailhead leading to Longs Peak. Search operations on Tuesday were slowed by strong winds, white out conditions and low visibility, park officials said. … His girlfriend, Natalie Dodgen, told KUSA he was very fit and had a lot of experience hiking in extreme terrain.

Last November, another hiker nearly froze to death in the Colorado Rockies after a snowstorm suddenly hit. Fortunately, in that case, a 25-member team was able to bring him back to safety after an hours-long search and rescue effort.

Photo below posted on X by The Next Summit.

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