A 58-year-old man has died after becoming stranded while searching for hidden treasure in Dinosaur National Monument, becoming the fourth person to die in pursuit of the bounty, according to CBS Denver.
The man from Deer Trail, who has not been named, was found dead by rescuers four days after he was reported missing. He had rented a snowmobile along with another man and became stuck on the western side of the Colorado-Utah border.
The men were searching for a legendary treasure that author Forrest Fenn claimed was hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains north of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
A total of four people have now lost their lives since 2016 in the search of the bounty, according to the report.
The other man, a 65-year-old from Thornton, survived the ordeal.
“I don’t believe these gentlemen intended to get in as far as they did,” said Lt. Chip McIntyre of the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office.
Mr McIntyre told CBS Denver the two men were not properly prepared for a long day in the backcountry, never mind any type of overnight emergency.
The two were both said to have been wearing insufficient clothing for the weather.
This was reported to be the second time the same men had been rescued by searches, having also gotten stranded in the same area of the mountain in February.
This time they were said to be discovered in possession of water bottles, candy bars, and a copy of Forrest Fenn’s “The Thrill of the Chase.”
Fenn offered clues in the self-published memoir as to where people could find the treasure.
“What happened was tragic,” Mr Fenn said about the incident in an email to CBS News on Tuesday.
