ORONDO, Wash. — A body recovered in Douglas County is believed to be that of a missing Grant County man.
The body was found down a steep, difficult-to-access terrain on July 18 off Stinar Road and Rivendall Road in Orondo.
Days before, a vehicle was found abandoned in that area. During the investigation, deputies learned the vehicle belonged to John Morrison, who was reported missing from Coulee City.
His vehicle was found on private property, 50 miles from his home. Investigators believe Morrison may have left the car on foot to possibly get help. The vehicle was released to Morrison’s family.
Using drones, Grant and Douglas County deputies began searching the area for Morrison. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office assisted with its helicopter.
During one of the Chelan flights, crews saw a person lying in steep terrain several hundred feet below where the vehicle was found.
“The individual appeared to be deceased and was situated in an extremely inaccessible area. Due to the time of day, no hoist-capable aircraft from surrounding agencies were able to respond for recovery operations,” the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office wrote.
On July 16, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit responded and removed the body.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office believes the remains are that of John Morrison.
The county coroner will identify the body and determine a cause of death.
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