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SAN RAFAEL SWELL, Emery County — Officials on Friday recovered the body of a California man who had been missing since mid-October.
Reynaldo Andico, 53, was found dead by a Division of Wildlife Resources officer about a half mile away from where his car was located earlier this week, according to a Facebook post from the Emery County Sheriff’s Office. The DWR officer was checking snow conditions near the Justensen Flats area when he spotted Andico’s body at the bottom of a 150-foot ledge. The bodies of two of Andico’s dogs were also located Friday, the post read.
A Department of Public Safety helicopter was dispatched to the scene and with the help of Emery County Sheriff’s personnel, the body was hoisted out of the rugged terrain and transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for official identification.
Andico’s last contact with his family was Oct. 13 when he told them he was in the mountains of Utah. Andico had three small dogs with him at the time but officials did not say Friday whether the third dog had been found.
On Monday, the Bureau of Land Management notified the sheriff’s office that a caller had reported an abandoned vehicle in the Justensen Flats area. Deputies searched the area and found Andico’s personal belongings, dog food and bowls in the vehicle.
Andico’s family began the process of listing him as a missing person earlier this week and told authorities he had no outdoor survival skills.
An organized search of the area was scheduled to begin Saturday.
