Hikers discovered what appear to be human remains Friday off a county road between Battlement Mesa and Rulison.

The hikers reported their find to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, which dispatched a patrol officer to the scene. The officer confirmed that the remains appeared to be human, according to a Sheriff’s Department press release.

The area, a short distance off County Road 309, was secured for the night. Officers from both Patrol and Investigations worked through the night to coordinate efforts with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to begin the investigation.

According to WPX Energy spokesperson Susan Alvillar, the site was on the Forshee property, approximately one fourth of the way from Battlement Mesa to Rulison, on the south side of the Colorado River.

Investigators from the Sheriff’s Office and CBI met at the site at 9 a.m. Saturday to begin collecting evidence. Garfield County Deputy Coroner Bill Hodgdon was notified, and by 6 p.m. the evidence had been collected.

CBI will utilize the DNA retrieved from the site to identify the remains. Garfield County Sheriff’s Office Commander Bill Middleton expects results by the end of next week.