The body recovered from the Animas River on July 18 has been positively identified as Cody Shane Pierce, 19, of Albuquerque.
La Plata County Search & Rescue conducted an extensive search after Pierce went into the river in the Upper Animas near Tank Creek on June 25.
High, silty water and difficult topography made the search challenging, said Butch Knowlton, director of the Office of Emergency Management for La Plata County and the incident commander.
Search and rescue searched the river for multiple days via helicopter, kayak, canoe and raft, as well as a K-9 unit. Pierce’s body was found near Bakers Bridge.
Coroner Jann Smith said the autopsy took place Wednesday in Grand Junction, but Pierce’s long stint in the water meant he had to be identified by dental records.
“Fortunately, he had been in recently to have some molars removed, so the dental records were current,” she said.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Robert Kurtzman had sent the results from the autopsy to an odontologist, who released his results Friday.
Smith said the autopsy confirmed the cause of death as drowning.
Pierce’s mother, Laura Pierce, told the Herald when the body was found that the family intended to cremate the remains and spread the ashes in the mountains near Durango.
“That’s where he would want to be,” she said, “That was his heaven.”
abutler@durangoherald.com