A woman who hadn’t returned from a hike in Alamosa County, Colo. on Saturday was later found deceased on Thursday, Oct. 16.
According to the Alamosa County’s Sheriff’s Office, Joy Cipoletti, 60, was last heard from at 3 p.m. Saturday when she reached the summit of Ellingwood Point near South Zapata Lake Trail. Search and rescue teams have been searching for her in the area southeast of Great Sand Dunes National Park since Monday, Out There Colorado reports.
At this time, Cipoletti’s cause of death is unknown. Her family released the following statement to the Sheriff’s Office:
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that the Cipoletti family says goodbye to our amazing Joy, who we love beyond words.”
“Joy’s strength and love of life impacted everyone who knew her. She played a deeply caring, active role in the lives of her three children, parents, three sisters and four brothers. As an avid hiker and outdoor adventurer, nature was Joy’s happy place. She shared this love of the Colorado outdoors with many people in her life. Our hearts are broken by this sudden loss of our dear Joy.”
“Our family would like to thank the Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue, the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Department and the dozens of other amazing search and rescue volunteers and professionals who dedicated their time and expertise to search for and eventually find Joy. We can’t begin to show our appreciation and gratitude for how you searched for our Joy with the determination and care that you would show as if she were a member of your family. You are heroes to us and we are forever grateful to each and every one of you.”
The Sheriff’s Office released a Wednesday update saying that high winds kept air support from aiding the search for Cipoletti, but as many as seven search and rescue teams from counties across Colorado helped in the search.
