PLEASANTON, Calif. (AP) - A 49-year-old Pleasanton man who disappeared during a camping trip has been found dead near his car in Mono County.
Authorities say they discovered Jay Lafontaine's body Thursday about three miles from his jeep. The vehicle was found stuck in the snow by a California Highway Patrol helicopter in a remote area northeast of Bodie where the elevation is around 10,000 feet.
Authorities say Lafontaine appears to have succumbed to hypothermia although an exact cause of death is under investigation.
Lafontaine was reported missing by his wife last Friday, two days after he was expected to return home from a trip to Death Valley.
He had last called his family on Nov. 27.