Denver man found dead at bottom of national park canyon beneath steep drop-offs

Authorities recovered the body of John N. Countryman, a 57-year-old Denver man, from the floor of Black Canyon in Colorado’s Gunnison National Park. His death is under investigation; the recovery highlights the challenges of searching in a remote canyon with steep drop-offs and limited access.

Deputies were alerted on 27 October to an abandoned vehicle near mile marker 10 on the South Rim, with personal belongings found near Devil’s Lookout. A drone search that evening was cut short by fading daylight, but a search at about 6.30am the next day located human remains. Countryman’s body was recovered two days later and taken to the county coroner.