A deceased man identified as Ardeshir Jahan, 51 of Sherman Oaks was found at Chuchupate campground on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. Yuma, Arizona visitor Tim Villella, son of Joan Barker of Frazier Park, noticed the quiet Chuchupate campsite.

“I’ve been here two days and hadn’t heard a single sound, even though there was someone parked at the campground above me,” Villella told The Mountain Enterprise at the scene. “No voices, no movement, not even a sneeze. So, when my mother visited today, I mentioned it to her and she became concerned,” he said.

Joan Barker, a former nurse, said, “I told Tim I would go check their welfare and make sure they’re OK. I shouted when I entered the campground, ‘Anyone here?’ and ‘Are you OK?’ as I approached the tent. Then I pulled the tent flap back and saw someone lying inside. I reached down to touch the toe as I said ‘Are you OK’ and felt the toe was ice cold. ‘Oh, my God’ I said and went directly back to Tim’s campsite, where I told him we had to get some help. I thought he might be dead,” she said.

Barker found the firefighters and alerted them that “there might be someone dead up there.” Sheriff’s deputies arrived within 20 to 30 minutes. Ventura County Major Crime investigators told The Mountain Enterprise they believe it is not a suspicious death.

Declaration of cause of death is pending results of toxicology tests.

This is part of the October 10, 2008 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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