38-year-old didn’t show at work. His body was found in Arizona tourist spot, cops say

A man described as an “avid hiker” was found dead on a popular Arizona trail after colleagues reported he didn’t show up for work, sheriff’s officials said.

The 38-year-old man was reported missing Thursday, July 6, after not arriving for work, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

His roommate told officials the man frequently hiked the Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock trails near Sedona, a popular tourist destination, the office said.

Deputies found his vehicle in the Bell Rock trail parking lot and pinged his phone, which showed he was somewhere nearby, sheriff’s officials said.

“There was no reason at that time to think the man was in danger, until later that evening when the man still had not surfaced,” officials said.

Darkness hindered efforts to search for the missing man, but on Friday, July 7, searchers deployed ground teams, mountain bikes, dogs and a drone, the sheriff’s office said.

A search and rescue team spotted something in a crevasse and discovered the body of the hiker, who rescuers think slipped and fell to his death, officials said.

His name has not been released pending notification of his family, officials said.

The Bell Rock Pathway is a 3.6-mile trail and is considered a moderate hike, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The hike typically takes over two hours and includes “a popular observation area.”

“Most of the pathway has a wide, hard surface, but there are some steep hills too,” the Forest Service said on its website. “Some places around Bell Rock are rocky and rough.”

Sedona is about 115 miles north of Phoenix.

This story was originally published July 9, 2023 at 11:02 AM with the headline "38-year-old didn’t show at work. His body was found in Arizona tourist spot, cops say."