The body of a 61-year-old retired U.S. Army Special Forces lieutenant colonel was found today near Cascade Falls in Chaffee County.
Wayne Kirkbride of Monument set out Sunday to climb Mount Antero. A search began Monday and ended this afternoon when a U.S. Army helicopter pilot spotted his body at about 3:30 p.m.
It appeared he fell from the “crest of a steep slope,” the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Department said in a media release.
Investigators have not determined the time of of death. The Sheriff’s Department said recovering the body will be difficult because of the steep, rocky terrain.
An attempt to remove the body will take place Wednesday.
Kirkbride had been staying at Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort with his wife for a military reunion last weekend when he set out to hike the 14,237-foot peak alone.
His wife reported him missing that night. His car was found at the Cascade Hill trailhead.
According to his LinkedIn page, Kirkbride attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point from 1968 and 1972 and served numerous military assignments, including with the 101st Airborne Division, the 2nd Infantry Division, 5th Special Forces and 82nd Airborne Division, according to an online bio.
He had been a teacher at International Christian School since 2006 and is the author of three books, “Dmz: A Story of the Panmunjom Axe Murder,” “North Korea’s Undeclared War” and “When God Says Yes: The Prayer of King Asa.”
