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17-year-old boy falls to his death in Little Cottonwood Canyon

Posted at 3:59 PM, Aug 13, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-13 23:55:54-04
Search and rescue responds to a teen who got separated from a group while hiking near Lisa Falls August 13, 2016.

Search and rescue responds to a teen who got separated from a group while hiking near Lisa Falls August 13, 2016.

LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah — A 17-year-old boy who was reported missing after he got separated from a group hiking in Little Cottonwood Canyon Saturday has been found dead.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder confirmed just before 9 p.m. that the missing teen had been found and that it appears he fell to his death.

The deceased has been identified as James Wade.

His body was recovered at the base of a steep cliff in the Lisa Falls area, Unified Police Department stated. The body was located with the assistance of a drone.

The teen had gone hiking in the Lisa Falls area of the canyon with his family Saturday around 10 a.m. The teen left the group to hike to an area higher above the falls, and his family didn’t see him afterward.

The family later called 911 when the teen did not return. Search crews assisted by a helicopter and a drone searched the area, and the teen’s body was found later Saturday night.

Winder said the search was carried out in rugged and treacherous terrain.

“We are now in communication with the family, we’re working in an area they think will hopefully lead us to some conclusions, but, suffice to say, the area’s very dangerous,” Winder told FOX 13 News prior to the discovery of the body.