OURAY - Ouray is grief-stricken over the July 5 death of James Peter Morss, who died after falling from a 100-foot cliff on Country Road 361, also known as Camp Bird Road.

A press release from the Ouray County Sheriff stated that Morss, 22, of Ouray, had been celebrating the Fourth of July with a group of friends in an area known as the Drinking Cup, where the road is cut into the cliff face, and a parking area overlooks a river far below.

The sheriff’s report said that Morss was with a group of friends celebrating with fireworks around 3 a.m. on Monday. An initial investigation indicates that Morss was standing near the edge of the road when there may have been an accidental detonation of fireworks, causing him to step back and fall approximately 100 feet onto rocks below. Morss’ friends, including an emergency medical technician, hiked down into the remote area,, but found he had died from his injuries.

The investigation is ongoing and further information will be available upon completion of an autopsy, according the Ouray Sheriff.

Nearly everyone knows everyone else in Ouray, and Morss and his family were well-known. He was the only son of Barbara Sever of Ouray and Robert Morss of Loghill Mesa near Ridgway, according to Crippin Funeral Home.

Arrangements are being handled by Crippin Funeral Home, but are incomplete at this point, said Julia Crippin.

Posted on July 5 at 11 a.m.: OURAY – The Ouray County Sheriff’s Office, Ouray County Emergency Medical Services and Ouray Mountain Rescue responded to the report of a fall victim on Monday, July 5, at 2:59 a.m. at Ouray County Road 361, mile marker 3.

The victim was James Peter Morss, 22, of Ouray, who had been celebrating the Fourth of July with a group of friends in an area known as “Drinking Cup.”

According to an OCSO press release, the group was celebrating with fireworks. An initial investigation indicates that Morss was standing near the edge of the road when there may have been an accidental detonation of a firework, causing him to step back and fall approximately 100 feet onto rocks below. Morss’s friends, including an emergency medical technician, hiked down into the remote area, but once they found him they discovered he had died from his injuries.

The investigation is ongoing and further information will be available upon completion of an autopsy.