Gunnison County Coroner Michael Barnes identified the badly decomposed bodies of three campers found in early July at a remote campsite in Western Colorado, according to several reports.
Christine Vance, 41, Rebecca Vance, 42, and Rebecca’s 14-year-old son, were identified as the campers whose bodies were found July 9 and 10 near the Gold Creek Campground, The Colorado Sun reported. Their deaths were probably hastened by malnutrition and exposure to the harsh wintry conditions of the mountainous terrain, but the causes of their deaths will be later determined by further analysis, according to Barnes. (RELATED: Man Falls To His Death At Rocky Mountain National Park)
Three people found dead at Colorado campsite were sisters, 14-year-old boy who planned to “live off the grid” https://t.co/wL4eUkWAPk
— The Colorado Sun (@ColoradoSun) July 26, 2023
Gunnison County police became aware of the bodies after a hiker came across one of them around 1,000 feet from a campsite near the Gold Creek Campground July 9, a separate report by The Colorado Sun noted. The police then reportedly found the other two bodies inside a tent July 1o, as well as “empty food cans and a lean-to shelter” at the “very basic” campsite.
The trio might have started camping sometime in July 2022 and died during the harsh Colorado winter, with a family member indicating the trio had set forth with the intention to live “off the grid,” per the Colorado Sun.
The campsite was reportedly in a remote area where hikers were not likely to pass by. Gunnison County Sheriff Adam Murdie described the bodies as “fairly mummified” by the time they were found, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Barnes believes the trio were likely not reported missing, The Colorado Sun noted.