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Hiker dies in Big Cottonwood Canyon

Victim’s body was found at the base of a 200-foot cliff after second person turned back.

Lennie Mahler | The Salt Lake Tribune Sundial Peak overlooks Lake Blanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014. A hiker's body was found this week at the base of a cliff in the area.

Crews have recovered the body of a hiker who died in Big Cottonwood Canyon near Lake Blanche.

According to Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, two people were hiking toward Sundial Peak, directly above Lake Blanche, when one of them felt unwell and headed toward the lake. That person became concerned about the other hiker and proceeded down the canyon to get a cellphone signal and call for help.

Search and rescue teams, along with two helicopters, began to search for the missing hiker Sunday at about 8 p.m. Darkness and high winds forced the helicopters and most of the search teams to break off, but one team continued looking and found the body of the missing hiker at the bottom of a 200-foot cliff at the base of Sundial Peak about 1 a.m.

The body of that hiker, whose name has not been released, was hoisted out by a helicopter Monday morning.

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