Wayne Stewart Habell, a Los Angeles fire captain reported missing last week, was found dead in a canyon in the Montecito area, a local firefighter's union said Sunday.
Authorities searched for the Los Angeles County Fire Department captain for several days, and on Saturday they found the body of an unidentified male on the Hot Springs Trailhead, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's office said in a post to Facebook.
While the identity is yet to be confirmed, the Local 1014 chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters has gone into mourning, KTLA reported.
"It is with great sorrow and a heavy heart that we come together again to stand with a brother's family and mourn the loss of one of our own," the group said.
The announcement came shortly after authorities reported finding Habell's car, which had reportedly been parked near the trailhead since last Monday.
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said in a statement that the 43-year-old fire captain was last seen leaving his home in Newhall that Monday morning and witnesses later reported seeing a solo male fitting his description walking up the trailhead.
Law enforcement officials launched an extensive search of the area but could not find Habell and had to call the search off for the day due to fading light.
The search resumed the following day, when crew discovered a body in the canyon early Saturday morning.
The remains were taken to the Santa Barbara County Coroner's Office for further investigation and the circumstances surrounding the death are yet to be announced, however, Habell's colleagues are mourning his death.
"We are all devastated, not just his immediate family, but his brothers and sisters here in Los Angeles County Fire Department," said Inspector Gustavo Medina previously told KTLA.
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