Rangers looking for raptors stumble upon remains of man missing for months, CO cops say

Park rangers were looking for raptors and stumbled upon a man’s remains, Colorado authorities said.

Bureau of Land Management rangers were conducting raptor counts April 19 near Phantom Canyon when they discovered human remains, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said.

Officials from several county agencies recovered the remains near a mile marker. Nearly a week later, they were identified as Bobby Stringer, a man who vanished in the area months ago.

Stringer was reported missing on Feb. 21, according to the sheriff’s office. An active search for Stringer went on for days in Phantom Canyon with multiple teams looking for him.

“All searches are challenging, but this one especially so, with the winter storm, daily high temperatures below zero and dangerous snow covered terrain,” rescuers said in February. “Saturday, we had 8 teams in Phantom Canyon.”

Rescuers reported knee-deep snow in some areas, as well as downed timber and slick conditions, according to the Mountain Rescue Association.

The search for Stringer ended Wednesday, April 20, when crews recovered his body from the backcountry, the search and rescue team said.

“Our sincere condolences go out to Bobby’s family and friends,” rescuers said. “Thank you to all of the agencies involved.”

This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 8:40 AM with the headline "Rangers looking for raptors stumble upon remains of man missing for months, CO cops say."