A family can finally have closure even if it is not the ending that everyone hoped for. Authorities confirmed that they have found the body of a 73-year-old man, who had disappeared in a Colorado national park, a year after he went missing. The Indianapolis native had been hiking in Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park when he disappeared.
Ultimately, that's where they discovered his body. The National Park Service confirmed that they found the remains of Thomas Irwin on February 28 at the park. The National Park Service announced the grisly discovery in a press release. The 73-year-old disappeared on January 15, 2024. The last time anyone saw him he had been hiking the Petroglyph Point Trail.
His family became worried about him. But after 10 days of searching, no one could locate the 73-year-old. Fast forward to this year, and officials discovered his remains using a human remains detection canine.
73-Year-Old Dies
"We sincerely appreciate and recognize the dedication of the Mesa Verde Resource and Visitor Protection Team and other park staff who continued the search for Mr. Irwin," Mesa Verde Superintendent Kayci Cook said in the news release. "We are glad this provides some closure for his family."
Sadly, the 73-year-old fell for one of the worst things you can do when hiking — hiking alone. He had been on a solo road trip from Los Angeles to Indiana. His travels brought him to Cortez, Colorado on a pit stop. It's likely that he wanted to take in the natural beauty of the park. But nature can be unassumingly deadly in the right circumstances.
The same day that he went missing, search and rescue found his car parked at the headquarters of the park. The 73-year-old suffered from some cognitive impairment issues and was on medication. It is unknown if that played a role or what the exact cause of his death is.
"A subsequent investigation believes that Irwin hiked the Petroglyph Point Trail in Mesa Verde National Park on January 15, 2024," the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database said.
Despite the tragic outcome, it is still closure for his loved ones.
