Colorado woman overdue from hike in Alamosa found dead

A missing Colorado Springs woman was found dead Thursday in Alamosa County after being reported overdue from her hike on Saturday, according to the county's Sheriff's Office. 

Joy Cipoletti, 60, was last heard from at 3 p.m. Saturday when she reached the summit of Ellingwood Point near South Zapata Lake Trail.

Search and rescue teams searched an area for Cipoletti, beginning Monday, southeast of Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Officials did not specify how Cipoletti died. Her family released the following statement to the Sheriff's Office:

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that the Cipoletti family says goodbye to our amazing Joy, who we love beyond words.

"Joy’s strength and love of life impacted everyone who knew her. She played a deeply caring, active role in the lives of her three children, parents, three sisters and four brothers. As an avid hiker and outdoor adventurer, nature was Joy’s happy place. She shared this love of the Colorado outdoors with many people in her life. Our hearts are broken by this sudden loss of our dear Joy.

"Our family would like to thank the Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue, the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Department and the dozens of other amazing search and rescue volunteers and professionals who dedicated their time and expertise to search for and eventually find Joy. We can’t begin to show our appreciation and gratitude for how you searched for our Joy with the determination and care that you would show as if she were a member of your family. You are heroes to us and we are forever grateful to each and every one of you.”

The Sheriff's Office said in a Wednesday update that high winds kept air support from aiding the search for Cipoletti, but as many as seven search and rescue teams from counties across Colorado aided in the search.