ESTES PARK, Colo. — Search crews have recovered the body of a man who went missing after climbing Longs Peak Sunday.
Rocky Mountain National Park said in a news release Thursday that the body of Lucas Macaj of Colorado Springs was recovered on Mills Glacier, near the base of Lamb's Slide.
The initial investigation indicates he took a "significant fall."
Macaj, 23, was reported overdue late Sunday night after climbing Longs Peak that day. He started from the Longs Peak trailhead early Sunday and had planned to summit the mountain via the Keyhole route, according to a news release.
He was last heard from around 1 p.m. Sunday, when he texted a friend to let them know he was on the summit. Significant storms moved through high elevations in the park Sunday afternoon.
Search efforts began on Monday and included air reconnaissance, ground teams and dog teams.
Macaj served in the U.S. Marine Corps before transferring to the U.S. Space Force in August 2023. He was stationed at Schriever Space Force Base near Colorado Springs.
“Space Delta 8 is a family and we have lost one of our own,” said Col. David A. Pheasant, Space Delta 8 commander, in a statement. “I extend my deepest personal condolences to family, friends and teammates who will be grieving through their loss. We will make every effort to ensure those within our team grieving this loss have full access to the trained helping agencies available.”
The Boulder County Coroner’s office will release the cause of death.
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