Olympic medal-winning US skier Jeret Peterson was found dead from gunshot wounds in a remote canyon between Salt Lake City and Park City in Lambs Canyon on Monday.

The police suspect Peterson, one of the most colorful sportsmen in the country, to have committed suicide. Peterson called 911 before shooting himself, police said.

He had been arrested for driving under influence (DUI) last Friday in Idaho. Police said he had left a suicide note in his car and it is believed that he made the 911 call to let police know his whereabouts.

Peterson had won the silver medal in the freestyle skiing aerials at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

The 29-year-old had overgrown the fringe sport he practiced and had become hugely popular following his silver medal in 2010. But it emerged that he fell prey to alcoholism and depression, which seem to have nipped his colorful life and promising career.
Nicknamed 'Speedy', Peterson was known best for his signature Hurricane jump.

AP reported that Peterson's troubled life as a child had left deep scars on his personality. He had admitted that childhood experiences like sexual abuse and the death of a 5-year-old sister in a traffic accident involving a drunken driver had made him prone to suicidal tendencies.

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