UTAH COUNTY, Utah, Oct. 13, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A body found in Payson Canyon is that of a missing of Craig Edwin Nielsen, 48, missing since Sept. 30, officials said.
A tweet from Sgt. Spencer Cannon, public information officer for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, said: “Personal items found near the body recovered in Payson Canyon yesterday belonged to Craig Edwin Nielsen. There was nothing suspicious about the discovery of his body. Investigators believe he set out to go hunting and may have experienced a medical emergency.”
Cannon said detectives recovered the body with assistance from UCSO Search and Rescue volunteers, who used technical rigging to bring the body off the mountain.
A second tweet Monday from Cannon added: “Utah County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue and Utah County Fire Department searchers walked within mere yards many times but because of terrain and dense vegetation were unable to see Nielsen’s body. This particular drone technology directly led to the discovery and return of Nielsen’s body to his family.
“Western States Aerial Search, Inc, a Utah-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, used drones to analyze thousands of photos to locate the body near the Grotto in Payson Canyon.”
Gephardt Daily will update the story as more information becomes available.
