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Police say dead man found in Little Cottonwood Creek victim of motorcycle crash

Posted at 10:31 AM, Jun 28, 2015
and last updated 2015-06-28 20:12:26-04

LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah -- Rescue crews responded to Little Cottonwood Canyon Sunday morning to recover a man's body from the Little Cottonwood Creek after a pair of hikers spotted the man, and police later determined the victim had been riding a motorcycle in the canyon and crashed.

According to the Unified Police Department, two hikers discovered the body on a rock in the creek and called police. Authorities later identified the man as John Thorpe, a Salt Lake County Resident.

One hiker stayed with the body from the bank and the other hiker walked downstream in case the body became dislodged from the rock, police say.

Police were initially uncertain about how the man came to be in the river, but they later determined he had crashed a motorcycle while riding in the canyon.

Det. Jared Richardson of the Unified Police Department said the motorcycle was found about 150 yards from the road, and the man's body was found about 50-60 yards from the vehicle. He said it wasn't clear how long the man had been in the water before he was found.

More information will be provided as it becomes available.