Body found in Horseshoe Canyon identified

Body found in Horseshoe Canyon identified

(Shutterstock)


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

HANKSVILLE, Wayne County — The body of a man who was hiking in Horseshoe Canyon was recovered Tuesday.

Investigators said it appeared the man was not prepared for extreme temperatures and that it was well over 100 degrees in the canyon Tuesday. The victim was identified as David Ross Goodrich, 52, from Kansas City, Missouri.

A group of hikers called dispatch when they found Goodrich's car and were concerned he had not yet returned, according to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.

The hikers who reported the incident had heard about Goodrich from another group of hikers who met him earlier in the day, investigators said.


He had asked them if they had food and water, and also asked if someone could take care of his dog.

–Wayne County Sheriff's Office


“These hikers told them that they had come across Goodrich earlier in the canyon at approximately 1 p.m., and he had asked them if they had food and water, and also asked if someone could take care of his dog,” according to a statement from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.

The reporting party found the man’s dog still in his car, investigators said.

“They took his dog out of the car and tied him up outside, leaving it with food and water,” the statement reads. “They also left a note on the car saying that they were going to go for help.”

The search and rescue team from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, along with other emergency personnel, responded to the canyon at about 10:30 p.m. A helicopter from the Utah Department of Public Safety also assisted in the search.

Goodrich was found off the trail at about 2:20 a.m. by a ranger from the Bureau of Land Management, investigators said. No water bottles were located in the area.

The cause of death will be determined by the state medical examiner after an autopsy.

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
Natalie Crofts

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast