WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. -- A man found dead at Mount Rainier was a gifted musician who was likely seeking solitude when he lost his way on a mountain trail, his father told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.

Park rangers said Devin Ossman, 45, of Mukilteo, apparently died of exposure. Searchers found his body on Wednesday.

"I think he walked too far and couldn't make it back. That's all I would know at the moment," said David Ossman, Devin's father.

David Ossman said it was not unusual for his son to seek solace in a quiet place.

"I have no forensic evidence, but apparently it just got too cold, too late, too dark and he couldn't make it back. That's what tragedy is borne of," he said.

A gifted flutist and a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Ossman often performed on Whidbey Island, most recently on Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist Church.

"Not only was he just a fine musician, but he was a real special person. You know, you can always just know that everything he plays is going to be absolutely beautiful," David Ossman said.

Devin Ossman was supposed to perform at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts on May 3.

His father said instead, they will invite all the musicians on the island for a celebration of his life.