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Body of missing hiker found in American Fork Canyon, searchers say

Posted at 2:24 PM, Nov 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-04 00:14:07-04

AMERICAN FORK CANYON, Utah -- The body of a man who went missing Wednesday while hiking in American Fork Canyon was found Saturday.

Derrik Jenkins was last seen Wednesday, around 4:30 p.m., Spencer Cannon with the Utah County Sheriff's Office said.

A press release made by the sheriff's office said that shortly before 1:30 p.m. Saturday, a flight crew with the Utah Department of Public Safety assisting in the search for Jenkins spotted a body in steep terrain near Box Elder Peak, at an elevation of around 9,000 feet.

"It is believed to be the body of Derrik Jenkins, but positive ID will be made during an autopsy," the sheriff's office wrote. "While cause of death is not known with certainty, it was apparent the body had sustained significant injuries likely incurred as the result of a fall."

A Facebook page dedicated to finding Jenkins stated that he was "very experienced in the outdoors and is close to his goal of summitting 100 unique peaks in one year."

Jenkins was believed to be trying to reach Box Elder Peak the day he went missing, the Facebook page said.

Search and rescue crews located Jenkins' body on the mountain, Cannon stated.

This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.