Missing 23-year-old climber found dead in Rocky Mountains

(GRAND LAKE, Colo.) — The body of 23-year-old Lucas Macaj was recovered in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park on Thursday after he took a “significant fall,” according to an initial investigation, the park said.

Search and rescue teams had been looking for Macaj on Mills Glacier since Monday.

His body was flown by helicopter to a landing zone in Rocky Mountain National Park before being transferred to the Boulder County Coroner’s Office. Park rangers completed an on-scene investigation.

The search for Macaj began when he was reported overdue following an attempt to summit Longs Peak on Sunday. He was last heard from at about 1 p.m. on Sunday when he texted a friend indicating that he was on the summit of Longs Peak.

Macaj’s vehicle was found parked at the Longs Peak Trailhead on Monday. The search for Macaj included several agencies as well as air, ground and dog teams.

There were significant storms moving through the high elevations of the park on Sunday afternoon, according to the National Park Service.

The Boulder County Coroner’s office will release the official cause of death.

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