A 71-year-old man from Pagosa Springs, Colorado, began a hiking journey with his dog, Finney, on August 19, 2023. The pair aimed to reach the summit of Blackhead Peak.
Rich Moore, accompanied by his 14-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, did not return from the hike, initiating a widespread search and rescue operation that lasted for months.
On October 30, 2023, about two and a half months following Moore’s disappearance, a hunter came across his body in the Lower Blanco drainage basin, situated southeast of Blackhead Peak in the San Juan National Forest, Colorado. In a notable instance of animal fidelity, Finney was found alive next to Moore.
Finney was subsequently taken to a veterinary hospital for care and has been returned to her family.
The search for Moore and Finney was a substantial endeavor, involving nearly 2,000 hours of work and traversing challenging landscapes. Multiple agencies and volunteers collaborated in this search effort.
As of now, the police have not determined Moore’s cause of death, but there is no suspicion of foul play.
Chaffee County Search and Rescue North reported that Moore was underprepared for the hike. He reached the summit of a 13,000-foot mountain wearing only a cotton sweatshirt and had exhausted his supply of food and water. Finney survived by hunting small animals and consistently returned to Moore’s side.