The body of a missing hiker has been found in the Colorado mountains with a live dog next to him.

Photograph: Steve Boyce/AlamiMissing hiker's body found in Colorado mountains with live dog at his side

Rich Moore, 71, not was able to return home after planning to conquer the 12,500-foot peak in August when a hunter found his remains and his dog.

The body of an elderly hiker who disappeared in San Francisco in August in Colorado. The Huang Mountains were discovered by a hunter, who also found the man's dog alive at the scene, authorities said.

'Used as cheap labor': Luxury Aspen resort abused visa program, lawsuit says.Read more

Rich Moore of Pagosa Springs, southern Colorado, and his Jack Russell terrier, Finny, did not return from a trip to the mountains on Aug. 19. The 71-year-old outdoorsman planned to reach the summit of 12,500-foot Blackhead Peak, about 20 miles from his hometown, family members said.

Taos Search and Rescue (King), which conducted the initial search, said in a Facebook post that Moore's body was found by a hunter Oct. 30 in the Lower Blanco watershed. The hunter alerted authorities, and the next day a team from the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office and search and rescue team members arrived to locate, identify and recover the body, the Denver Gazette reported.

Little Finny was found next to Moore's body and taken to a local veterinarian's office for evaluation and treatment. The dog has since been reunited with Moore's family.

Moore's cause of death has not been released, the newspaper reported, but authorities say they do not suspect foul play.

Delinda Vann-Brightin, a crew member of the Tsar, described the search and rescue efforts in a post from her team on social media. She said she and her own certified rescue dog were «searching just below the top of the peak and just to the west, searching the mountain down towards where his car was.»

She said the terrain was particularly steep and the wind was strong.

Skip Promotional Newsletter

Subscribe to the First Thing Newsletter

Free daily newsletter

Our US morning briefing breaks down the day's key stories, telling you what's happening and why it matters.

Privacy Notice: newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and externally funded content. sides. For more information, please review our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

after newsletter promotion

“Delinda and CAR would like to express our condolences to the family, but are glad they were able to achieve some closure and also bring your dog home,” the message says.