Colorado coroner confirms Illinois hiker’s death in national park

BOULDER, Colo. — A Colorado coroner has confirmed that a body found in Rocky Mountain National Park is a hiker from Illinois.

The Boulder County Coroner’s Office said Thursday that it had identified 60-year-old Jens “Jay” Yambert, of Urbana, Illinois. The office says an autopsy has been completed but more investigation is needed to determine how Yambert died.

Park officials found Yambert’s body Friday morning west of Keplinger’s Couloir at 12,600 feet of elevation in extremely steep, rugged terrain.

Yambert was reported overdue Aug. 28 when he didn’t return from the hike he began two days earlier. His rental car was found at the Longs Peak Trailhead.

At 14,259 feet above sea level, Longs Peak is the highest mountain in the park and the 15th highest in Colorado.