On Saturday morning, authorities reported the discovery of a body fitting the description of a missing University of Colorado student in a challenging location within Boulder County.

Eighteen-year-old Megan Trussell was reported missing by the University of Colorado Police Department on Thursday. She was last seen at her residence hall on February 9, as noted by university officials.

Trussell’s parents shared with NBC affiliate KUSA in Denver that they contacted law enforcement on Wednesday upon realizing their daughter had stopped responding to their texts. After reviewing her phone activity, her mother, Vanessa Diaz, informed KUSA that Megan’s phone had not been used since 8:45 p.m. on February 9.

On Friday, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation launched a Missing Indigenous Person Activation for Trussell.

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office announced Saturday that a body resembling the missing CU Boulder student was located near the 40-mile marker of Boulder Canyon Drive, roughly 14 minutes away from campus.

Both the sheriff’s office and Boulder County Coroner’s Office are conducting a collaborative inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death, as indicated in their statement.

Boulder Canyon Drive was temporarily closed to facilitate the recovery operation and was also impacted by adverse weather conditions. The body was discovered in “hard-to-reach terrain,” necessitating technical rescue techniques, including rappelling, according to the sheriff’s office.

On Saturday, the University of Colorado Boulder released a statement to the campus community regarding the grim discovery.

“The loss of a member of our community deeply affects our campus. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and community of those we lose,” stated the university. “Support resources will be available in the coming days, weeks, and months to assist those in grieving.”

Numerous agencies are collaborating on the investigation, including the City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks, University of Colorado Police Department, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Services, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Boulder Emergency Squad, Nederland Fire Protection District, Boulder County Coroner’s Office, and the Boulder Police Department.