Steven Johnson, Arizona climber found dead, ‘covered with bee stings’
A Tucson, Arizona climber was found dead, hanging from a southern Arizona cliff. While the cause of the death hasn’t been determined, but officials say Johnson was covered with stings when he was found.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office says 55-year-old Steven Johnson was found in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson late Monday.
Johnson was last seen Friday when he went hiking, and friends became worried when he didn’t go to work on Monday.
A spokesman with the sheriff’s office told News 4 Tucson that a friend saw a posting on Facebook asking about Johnson’s whereabouts, which ultimately led them to Johnson.
Search and rescue teams found both Johnson and his dog dead. The dog was on the top of the cliff.
Sheriff’s Lt. Raoul Rodriguez says Johnson may have disturbed bees by hammering a spike into the cliff.
“It’s devastating news for the Tucson community, for sure, he was a very prolific climber in Tucson,” said John Mavko, who works at Rocks & Ropes, a climbing facility frequented by Johnson.
Photo/CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS / @CSI?cafe via wikimedia commons
