Body found in Valley Center

VALLEY CENTER (CNS) – The body of a man, likely dead for several days, was found by a runner on a trail east of Valley Center, and authorities are working to determine how the man died.

The body was spotted at 4 p.m. Saturday on a trail north of Hell Creek Road, but deputies could not immediately reach it by all-terrain vehicle or helicopter, U-T San Diego reported.

Sheriff’s department personnel worked for nearly an hour to remove the body from the remote area in the Hellhole Canyon Preserve, sheriff’s Sgt. Frank Gallardo said.

A helicopter crew surveyed the scene, landed and dropped a person off before shuttling sheriff’s department personnel to the scene, Gallardo said.

Officials with the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office were also summoned to investigate and later removed the remains with the help of the helicopter, Gallardo said.

Gallardo said the Medical Examiner’s Office would continue to investigate to determine the man’s cause of death.