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NAPERVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A suburban Chicago man found dead last month in South Dakota's Black Hills National Forest died of hypothermia, officials in Custer County, South Dakota, said.
Dehydration also contributed to the death of Jordan Baznik, 23, Custer County Coroner Jim Sanders told the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald (http://bit.ly/1B1xSMF ). Baznik was found dead Aug. 15 in a heavily wooded area at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Baznik had no drugs or alcohol in his system, Sanders said.
Inexperience in the wilderness played a role in Baznik's death, Sanders said. Baznik likely died the day before he was found, he said. The area had recently been hit by hail and a rainstorm, Sanders said.
"It's a very remote area where he was located," Sanders added. "The million dollar question is why he was out there in the first place."
Baznik was traveling with friends to Canada for a concert. He separated from them at a Keystone hotel on Aug. 6.
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Information from: Daily Herald, http://www.dailyherald.com
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