AFTON, Minnesota — Authorities say a body was found in Afton State Park Saturday evening that matches the description of an Inver Grove Heights man who was reported missing in May.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office released a statement Tuesday, saying the body was located by Northstar Search and Rescue around 7 p.m. on June 17 in an isolated area within the park.
The sheriff's office said 31-year-old Andrew Dropik was last seen Tuesday, May 16, at a gas station in Inver Grove Heights. Days later, according to police, family members located his vehicle near Afton State Park in an area he was known to frequently hike.
Crews searched for weeks, covering 1,600 acres of land looking for Dropik who they believe was suffering from a mental health crisis at the time he went missing.
While police say the recovered body matches Dropik's description, it has not yet been officially identified. That information, as well as the person's manner and cause of death, will be released by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner in coming days.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist:
