James “Randy” Udall, younger brother of Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., was found dead Wednesday in Wyoming’s Rocky Mountain range, CNN reports.
Randy Udall, an experienced hiker, began a hiking trip in the Wind River Range June 20th.
His family reported him missing six days later, the day of his expected return.
Rescue efforts got underway immediately, with helicopters and search crews combing the area for any sign of Udall.
According to the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office, a helicopter search team discovered his body Wednesday in a remote area of the Range.
Authorities said Udall appears to have died of natural causes and no foul play is suspected.
An autopsy will be performed sometime in the coming days.
Sen. Udall released a statement honoring his brother’s love of the outdoors and praising the efforts of rescue workers.
“Randy left this earth doing what he loved most: hiking in his most favorite mountain range in the world. He appeared to be on the obscure, off-trail route that he had proposed to his family,” the statement said.
“The entire Udall family is touched beyond words by the tremendous outpouring of support from people around the country.
Randy's passing is a reminder to all of us to live every day to its fullest, just as he did.”
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