40-Year-Old Man Accidentally Falls to His Death at Zion National Park

A 40-year-old man unfortunately fell to his death over the weekend at Zion National Park with park officials and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responding to the incident. 

The accident occurred on Saturday near the exit of Heaps Canyon at Zion with a group of four being involved in the accident including the deceased man. 

A news release from the National Park Service summarized what’s known about the accident, and the unfortunate aftermath. 

The news release said, “After receiving the report of the fall, Zion National Park Technical Search and Rescue Team and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene and rendered emergency medical care. The man was extracted by a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter to a helispot near Watchman Campground, where he received additional aid from Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue and Intermountain Life Flight. The man was pronounced dead before he could be transported by air ambulance to a hospital.”     

The three other people in the group were extracted the following morning via different methods. 

The news release said, “The morning of Oct. 6, two of the three remaining canyoneers were extracted safely by DPS helicopter. Zion’s search and rescue team assisted the third with rappelling down the canyon, reaching the ground safely at approximately 2:00 pm. Zion National Park and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office are still investigating the exact cause of the man’s death.” 

The response from the park included more than 50 personnel on the ground from Zion’s search and rescue team as well as assistance from Springdale Police Department, Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and Intermountain Life Flight. 

We here at KDXU would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of the victim and wish the best for the other three members of the group.