Body of Denver man recovered from Black Canyon in the United States

A man from Denver has been found dead in the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park in the US state of Colorado. The deceased has been identified as John N. Countryman, 57.

The Montrose County Sheriff's Office said the body was found last week after a vehicle was discovered abandoned near the park. Authorities shared the information on Wednesday.

The sheriff's office said deputies were notified around 5:30 pm on October 27 about an abandoned vehicle parked near mile marker 10 along the South Rim of Black Canyon.

Personal belongings were also found near Devil's Lookout, one of the park's steepest viewing points.

The sheriff's office drone team was then called in to search the canyon for a possible missing person connected to the abandoned vehicle. However, authorities said the team was unable to locate anyone before nightfall due to diminishing daylight.

After a search began at approximately 6:30 the following morning, the drone team confirmed the presence of human remains on the canyon floor.

Countryman's body was recovered two days later and transferred to the Montrose County Coroner's Office.

The cause and manner of death remain under investigation. The sheriff's office identified the man in a post on Facebook.

Many trails in the Black Canyon run along steep drop-offs of nearly 2,000 feet, and access to the inner canyon is limited. The steep, narrow gorges carved by the Gunnison River make search and rescue operations in this terrain challenging.