Authorities find remains of missing man and his dogs in remote central Utah canyon

A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter crew is dispatched to recover a body found in Emery County, Utah, Dec. 22, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Emery County Sheriff's Office, St. George News

EMERY COUNTY — The body believed to be of a California man who had not been heard from for more than two months was found near his abandoned car in a rugged area of the San Rafael Swell in central Utah Friday.

Reynaldo Andico, 53, of California, in an undated photo | Photo courtesy of Emery County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

The man, 53-year-old Reynaldo Andico, told his family he was in the mountains of Utah Oct. 13 with his three pet dogs, and they had not heard from him since then, according to a news release issued by Emery County Sheriff’s Office.

An abandoned car was found in the Justesen Flats area and reported to authorities Monday. Responding deputies found Andico’s belongings inside the car and contacted his family, at which point the family filed a missing person report.

The family told authorities Andico did not have any outdoor survival skills or experience.

A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter crew member is lowered into a canyon to recover a body found in Emery County, Utah, Dec. 22, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Emery County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

A search effort conducted by Emery County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue crews was planned to take place Saturday in the rugged terrain surrounding the location of Andico’s car.

A Division of Wildlife Resources officer went to the area Friday to check snow conditions in anticipation of the planned search effort.

“The officer was hiking out after checking on a trapper in the area when he spotted the body at the bottom of a 150 foot ledge,” the news release states.

Two of Andico’s dogs were also found dead nearby.

Personnel from Emery County Sheriff’s Office and a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter crew were dispatched to the location of the body.

The helicopter hoisted the body out of the rugged terrain and transported it to the state’s Medical Examiner’s Office for official identification.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

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