Police in Bolivia have confirmed that a body found in a ravine near a mountain pass above La Paz is that of a young Canadian cyclist who went missing in late January.
Simon Matthew Boily, 23, left La Paz on the morning of Jan. 21 and planned to cycle down a narrow highway known locally as Camino de la Muerte, or "Highway of Death." The road is notorious for its unpaved surface, hairpin turns and steep dropoffs.
Boily's body was found on a rocky slope near the highway, 22 kilometres northwest of La Paz.
His passport and return ticket to Canada were found at the scene, but his bicycle and other belongings were missing.
Police would not speculate as to whether Boily had suffered an accident or had been the victim of a crime. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Boily had planned to cycle to the popular tourist town of Coroico, a popular backpacker hangout 50 kilometres northwest of La Paz.
His family in Alma, Que., reported him missing after he failed to arrive for a Feb. 15 flight home.
Long considered one of the safer Latin American countries for travellers, Bolivia has grown in popularity as a tourist destination. But at the same time, there has also been a rise in robberies of foreign visitors.
