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Body found in Payson Canyon believed to be of missing hiker

(Photo courtesy of Utah County Sheriff's Office) Craig Edwin Nielsen, 48, of Payson has been missing since Sept. 30, 2020. Detectives from the Utah County Sheriff's Office recovered a body from near the Grotto area of Payson Canyon; they believe the body may be that of Nielsen, pending identification.

A body recovered from Payson Canyon is believed to be that of a Payson man who has been missing since Sept. 30.

Detectives from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office recovered the body near the Grotto in Payson Canyon on Sunday night, the sheriff’s office reported on social media. The office’s search and rescue team brought the body down from the mountain using a technical rigging system.

Sheriff’s deputies say they believe the body is that of Craig Edwin Nielsen, 48, of Payson. Nielsen was last seen on Sept. 30, and his pickup truck was found near the Grotto trailhead on Oct. 1. The body has been sent to the medical examiner, who will make a positive identification, said Sgt. Spencer Cannon, department spokesman.

On Monday, officials said personal items found near the body belonged to Nielsen.

“There was nothing suspicious about the discovery of his body,” the department said on Twitter. “Investigators believe he set out to go hunting and may have experienced a medical emergency.”

The department used drone technology to locate the body.

“Searchers walked within mere yards many times but because of terrain and dense vegetation were unable to see Nielsen’s body,” the department reported. “This particular drone technology directly led to the discovery and return of Nielsen’s body to his family.”