Missing woman's body found on mountain north of Lake Havasu City
A woman who had been reported missing was found dead on a mountainside near Lake Havasu City on Saturday by Mohave County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue team.
On Friday evening, hikers near Craggy Wash north of Lake Havasu City reported someone near the mountain peak that appeared to need help, according to the search and rescue team.
The hikers told the Sheriff's Office the mountain’s rough terrain prevented them from getting close enough to the person to get a good look at their condition.
Search and rescue crew members then responded to the scene and determined the person was dead.
As night fell, authorities decided that the difficult conditions on the mountainside would delay the removal of the body until the following morning.
A search and rescue team on foot dealt with terrain that authorities described as “steep and rugged,” requiring the assistance of an Arizona Department of Public Safety Western Air Rescue helicopter from Kingman.
Ground crews used the helicopter based long-line extraction to recover the body, a rope-like system that hoists a person out of dangerous terrain.
Authorities said they identified the body as 46-year-old Melinda Oakeson, a woman who had recently been reported missing.
The Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to The Arizona Republic’s request for more information surrounding why Oakeson was on the mountainside or for how long she had been reported missing.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Missing woman's body found on mountain north of Lake Havasu City
