A body believed to be that of Brian Perri, of Fort Collins, Colo., was removed Tuesday from the backcountry of Rocky Mountain National Park/NPS HO

A Colorado man who celebrated his summiting of Mount Meeker in Rocky Mountain National Park by texting a photo of himself on the summit to a friend apparently died instantly from a fall of 25 to 40 feet, the park announced Tuesday.

Brian Perri’s body was removed by helicopter Tuesday morning from where he died below the summit. While the Boulder (Colo.) County Coroner’s Office will have to officially identify the body, park officials believe it is that of the 38-year-old Perri, of Fort Collins.

On Saturday afternoon, July, 28, a ranger was responding to a SPOT device activation from a visitor recreating in the area. While looking for the source of the SPOT activation, the ranger came upon Perri’s body. It was located southwest (not northwest, which was originally listed in a previous news release) of the summit of Mount Meeker in steep terrain. Mount Meeker, at 13,911 feet, is the second highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Rangers believe Perri took an approximate 25-to-40-foot tumbling fall and appears to have died instantly.  His body was located downhill and southwest of the Mount Meeker summit photo that he texted to a friend on June 30.  He was found above tree line at the base of a steep, nearly vertical drop off, consisting of large boulders, loose rock, and talus scree slope.

Searchers, including ground teams, a dog team, and helicopter aerial operations were in the vicinity of where Perri’s body was located. Unfortunately, the steep terrain, angle, sheer size of the rocks and boulders as well as the coloring of his tan and green clothing made it extremely difficult to see him, the park release said.

Perri was out on a day hike on June 30 when he made it to the top of Mount Meeker. Park staff was alerted July 5 that he had been reported missing.

Extensive search efforts began the evening of July 5 and encompassed significant sections of 22.5 square miles above tree line as well as forested areas. The majority of the search area was in rugged and remote terrain with loose rock, steep ridges, and exposed cliffs, on ridge lines and couloirs. The area was searched by helicopters, ground searchers, dog teams, and drone reconnaissance.

The visitor who activated the SPOT device was located Saturday evening, July 28, by other rangers in the Keplinger Couloir area with a lower leg injury. Rangers remained with the man overnight. On Sunday morning the hiker was taken by Flight For Life Air Ambulance to Estes Park Medical Center, where he was treated and released that morning.