Boulder County, Colo. - The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office received a call on Tuesday afternoon, January 21, from a family member requesting a welfare check for a 78-year-old male who lived near Allenspark. They had not heard from him since Thursday, January 16, which was unusual.

Boulder County Sheriff’s Office deputies went to his home on Big Owl Road on Tuesday to conduct a welfare check. Deputies searched his home and determined he was not at home, but it appeared that he may have left his home on foot. They began an initial search of the surrounding property on Tuesday but were unable to locate the missing man.

On Wednesday morning, 15 search and rescue personnel and volunteers widened the search area. An Everbridge notification was also sent to the surrounding area asking if anyone had seen the missing man. Searchers were on foot, and search dogs and a UAV (drone) were also utilized throughout the day, but they did not find the missing man.

The search continued Thursday morning, with 35 search and rescue personnel and volunteers. Unfortunately, a male, matching his description, was found deceased at 11:40 a.m. this morning, approximately ½ mile from the missing man's home. He was found by members of the Arapahoe Rescue Patrol, a volunteer organization composed of high school students.

The identification of the decedent, as well as the cause and manner of death will be determined by the Boulder County Coroner’s Office.

The following organizations assisted with this significant, multi-day search: Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Allenspark Fire Protection District, Arapahoe Rescue Patrol, Boulder Emergency Squad, Colorado Search and Rescue Association, Front Range Rescue Dogs, Larimer County Search and Rescue, and Rocky Mountain Rescue Group.

The associated Boulder County Sheriff’s Office case number is 25-00337.

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/s/ Carrie Haverfield, Sr. Communications Specialist