The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office reports man from Aurora, Colorado was found dead by hikers on a trail in Chaffee County on Tuesday afternoon.
38-year-old Ronald Eugene Stamm was found face down in a creek bottom near Agnes Vaille Falls at around 4:00pm. Chaffee County Sheriff’s deputies responded to scene and during the investigation were informed that Stamm was in the area hiking with his wife and juvenile daughter. The sheriff’s office reports the party of three all made it to the falls and Stamm wanted to continue on hiking while his wife and daughter returned to the trailhead.
“Based on items of evidence found at the scene it was apparent that Ronald attempted to climb the cliff face at the falls without equipment, possibly lost his grip and fell over a hundred feet to the creek bottom where he came to rest.” –Sheriff Andy Rohrich
Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends. Read the full statement from the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office below.
On May 27th, 2025 at approximately 4:00PM Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to the Agnes Vaille Falls trailhead on County Road 162 in Chaffee County for a report of hikers who had discovered a deceased person face down in the creek bottom near the falls approximately a half mile up the trail.
Deputies and Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Detectives arrived on scene to complete an investigation shortly thereafter.
It was learned that a married couple from Aurora, Colorado, along with their juvenile daughter, had come to the area to hike the trail to the falls. Once they made it to the falls the male party, identified as Ronald Eugene Stamm age 38 from Aurora, Colorado, wanted to continue hiking as his wife and daughter returned to the trailhead.
Based on items of evidence found at the scene it was apparent that Ronald attempted to climb the cliff face at the falls without equipment, possibly lost his grip and fell over a hundred feet to the creek bottom where he came to rest.
Ronald did not survive the fall and was pronounced deceased at the scene by Chaffee County Coroner Jeff Graff. Chaffee County Search and Rescue North was called in to assist with extricating Ronald’s body back to the trailhead.
Sheriff Andy Rohrich
