13 July 2023 , 17:58
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Three badly decomposed bodies have been found at a remote campsite by a lone hiker.
The gruesome discovery was made near the Gold Creek Campground, Gunnison National Forest, Colorado.
The find was made on the afternoon of Sunday July 9 at the remote campsite but it took authorities until the next morning to find the site.
The person who first called it in had only found one of the "heavily decomposed" bodies but investigators found another two equally rotted corpses. The bodies had likely been there for a “substantial period of time."
A spokesperson for the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office said: "It appeared the individuals have been deceased for a substantial period of time."
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Gunnison National Park where the gruesome discovery was made (Getty Images/iStockphoto)The identities of the dead are not being released at this time.
The cause of death is so far unclear but autopsies are being carried out. No evidence of foul play has been found.
The Sheriff's office added: "There are no known risks to residents or outdoor enthusiasts recreating in the area associated with this unfortunate event."
The three may have died from malnutrition or exposure to the elements, Gunnison County Coroner Michael Barnes told CNN.
“At this point it appears that these three individuals began long term camping at the location near Gold Creek Campground in (approximately) mid-late July last Summer 2022 and attempted to stay through the winter,” he said, adding that they may have planned to live there permanently.
News of the bodies comes after several hikers in recent months at national parks in the United States died while navigating various trails and cliffs.
Other hiking-related deaths have occurred in Colorado national parks recently (Getty Images)On the same day the bodies were found, a woman plummeted around 500 feet to her death while scaling a cliff on the Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge on Ypsilon Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
Her hiking partner called in the accident, and the search and rescue teams had to bring in a helicopter to retrieve both him and her body.
A week earlier, a man died after taking a tumble down a waterfall in another region of Rocky Mountain National Park.
The 25-year-old got submerged in the waters near West Creek Falls, then swept away in the current.
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His body was located the following day.
Colorado seems to have become a hotbed for national park-related incidents and deaths.
At the end of June, hiker Ian O'Brien got lost while hiking Hesperus, a peak in the San Juan mountains. The search for the 28-year-old was called off on July 9, reported the Durango Herald.