Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the year the remains were discovered.

Human remains discovered in 2026 at the Fraser Experimental Forest in Grand County have been identified as Svetlana Ustimenko, a Florida resident in her mid-50s who was reported missing and endangered, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office said.

The Grand County Coroner’s Office officially identified the remains as those of Ustimenko and has been in contact with her family. Her family said Ustimenko had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, was struggling to cope with the diagnosis and felt a strong pull toward the Colorado mountains, according to the release.

The investigation

In July 2023, a rental vehicle was reported at the Deadhorse Trailhead off County Road 73 in the Arapaho National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service and the Grand County Sheriff’s Office investigated after the vehicle remained parked for an extended period with no signs of activity. The agencies worked with the rental car company and Ustimenko’s family, and law enforcement confirmed the vehicle belonged to her.

In August 2023, an active search began around the trailhead, and operations continued throughout the month.

A secondary search took place on July 15, 2026, involving the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, the coroner’s office and Grand County Search and Rescue, known as GCSAR. Additional remains were discovered during the search. After that effort, the coroner’s office positively forensically identified the remains as those of Ustimenko and notified her family, the sheriff’s office said.

Resources devoted over multiple years

Grand County Search and Rescue and partner organizations devoted significant resources to locating Ustimenko over multiple years. The release listed 57.5 mission hours and 1,043.5 person-hours.

The Sheriff’s Office said it maintained close contact with Ustimenko’s family and with the BrowardCounty Sheriff’s Office in Florida, which initiated the original missing-person case.

Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin said in the release that the outcome is heartbreaking but offers the family closure. “This case highlights the incredible work and dedication of our professional Search and Rescue volunteers from Grand County and our surrounding entities. While this is a heartbreaking outcome, we hope it brings a degree of closure to her loved ones. The family and I are deeply grateful to these volunteers for their courageous efforts and unwavering dedication,” Schroetlin said.