Two sisters, teen boy’s remains found at remote Colorado campsite

The mummified remains of three people discovered at a remote camping site in the Colorado wilderness were identified on Tuesday as two sisters and a teen boy who were planning to “live off the grid,” a report said.

Christine Vance, 41, Rebecca Vance, 42, and Rebecca’s 14-year-old son were identified as the bodies discovered earlier this month about 1,000 feet from a site near the Gold Creek Campground, according to The Colorado Sun.

The trio are believed to have started hiking in July of 2022, about a year before they were discovered dead. A family member told the coroner that they had been planning to “live off the grid.”

Gunnison County Coroner Michael Barnes told The Sun that malnutrition and “exposure to the elements” were likely to contribute to their deaths.

“It was a significantly harsh winter for us this year, and it always is here,” Barnes told the paper, “but we did have more snow than we have had in the past couple of winters.”

One of the bodies was located by a hiker on Sunday, while two others were found by authorities on Monday, Gunnison County Sheriff Adam Murdie said.

Two of the bodies were found inside a small, zipped-up tent while the other was outside in the camp.

The bodies were found in a wooded, remote area, away from areas typically frequented by hikers.

“This is not a typical occurrence anywhere, by any means,” Murdie said.

The bodies were “fairly mummified,” meaning they likely were there through the winter — possibly even since last fall, Murdie said.

Authorities also discovered personal belongings, tarps, and a lean-to built from logs over a fire pit near the campsite.