A body discovered in Rocky Mountain National Park has been identified as Blake Kieckhafer, a 23-year-old man who went missing after being dropped off at the Colorado park.
The Larimer County Coroner’s Office confirmed this week that the remains had been “positively and scientifically identified” as the Nebraska native, last seen on Aug. 7 after arriving at the park.
An autopsy performed on Thursday, Aug. 14, determined that Kieckhafer died from multiple blunt force injuries, with the manner of death ruled as an accident.
“Based on the circumstances of the scene and death investigation, it is believed the decedent died on August 9, 2025, from an accidental fall,” a coroner’s office spokesperson said, adding that no further details will be released.
A Rocky Mountain National Park representative confirmed on Thursday, Aug. 14, that authorities had recovered remains likely belonging to Kieckhafer above Emerald Lake.
“Rocky Mountain National Park rangers completed an on-scene investigation, and recovery operations were carried out by helicopter,” the spokesperson said. “His body was flown to a landing zone in Rocky Mountain National Park and transferred to the Larimer County Coroner’s Office.”
Search efforts began after Kieckhafer’s family reported him missing to park rangers on Aug. 11, according to a National Park Service spokesperson.
Kieckhafer was last seen in the Upper Beaver Meadows area of the park on Aug. 7, around 5:20 p.m. local time, after being dropped off by a ride-share service, the NPS spokesperson said.
