7-08-2022 9:13am

AlamogordoTownNews.com Missing Hiker Found Dead WSNP

Chris Edwards Editor

The search for the missing 27-year-old man has come to an end after his body was found at the park. 27-year-old Brad Utegaard of Madison, Wisconsin was reportedly found dead earlier this week at the White Sands National Park, New Mexico. Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue found the body of the missing man after a two-day search.

Officials report it appears the missing young man appeared to have died of heat-related causes. An autopsy to determine the official cause of death was pending, according to the state medical investigator's office.

He was reported missing after he was last seen on Sunday, July 3rd, 2022 White Sands National Park, New Mexico.

“Thank you to everyone who prayed. I don’t know all the details but Brad is no longer with us. Please pray for his mom Lisa, dad Jim, and brother Mike. Blessings,” according to Helen Utegaard’s statement posted on Facebook. The circumstances surrounding the cause of Brad Utegaard’s death were not mentioned in Helen Utegaard’s post. “Thank you all for sharing and please include his family in your thoughts and prayers.”

Brad Utegaard was a native of Wausau, Wisconsin who lived in Madison, Wisconsin, according to his Facebook profile. Brad graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he majored in Computer science. He worked as a Business Analyst at Alliant Energy Center.

According to sources within the park “he was hiking alone they believed and veered of the marked trails. Search parties looked for him via air support and on the ground and park staff was saddened by this incident.

Park spokespersons had no official comment at the time of this article but did ask for hikers to please stay on the trails, carry plenty of water when hiking and use care and diligence when on park property.