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SALT LAKE CITY — A missing 80-year-old hiker was found dead in Big Cottonwood Canyon Monday morning after apparently falling more than 200-feet off the Sundial Trial.
On Tuesday, the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office identified the victim as Mohammad Abdullah and called him an "experienced hiker."
Salt Lake County sheriff's spokeswoman Brittany Karzen, said Abdullah was found dead after apparently falling approximately 200-feet off of Sundial Peak, just south of Lake Blanche.
Abdullah set off for a hike on Sunday about 6 a.m. His wife contacted police about 10 p.m. Sunday to report that he was overdue.
A Department of Public Safety helicopter assisting with the search located the body on Monday.
"They were able to find the body around 9:30 this morning and they're currently working to recover his body," Karzen said Monday. "Our understanding is, it appears that he fell a great distance."
Breaking: an 80 or so yr old hiker found dead up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Search and Rescue been on scene all morning. Salt lake county sheriff dept telling me he fell. More info to follow. @KSL5TVpic.twitter.com/QBZK3DnGB6
— Dan Rascon (@TVDanRascon) July 1, 2024
She said the man's family described him as a "very experienced hiker" who was familiar with the trails in the area. Abdullah's body was recovered by search and rescue crews about 11:30 a.m. Monday. Sheriff Rosie Rivera called the incident "heartbreaking" and offered her condolences to Abdullah's family.
As many Utahns will likely be hiking this week, Karzen reminded hikers to wear proper shoes, carry lots of water and be careful around moving water.
"Nature's beautiful but also dangerous," she said.
Contributing: Dan Rascon, Pat Reavy
