A 40-year-old canyoneer died on Saturday evening after a fall of between 150 and 200 feet near the Upper Emerald Pool in Zion National Park, The Associated Press reports.
The man, whose identity has not yet been released, was rappelling through Heaps Canyon with three other canyoneers when the fatal fall occurred. The group was following their permitted itinerary through the long and physically demanding canyon.
Park officials confirmed that the death was accidental, and Zion National Park and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office are currently investigating the exact cause.
After receiving a report of the fall, Zion’s search and rescue team responded to the scene with officers from the sheriff’s department. They attempted to save the man’s life, but ultimately he was pronounced dead before he could be airlifted to a hospital.
The Utah Department of Public Safety extracted the man’s body by helicopter to the Watchman Campground area. The remaining three canyoneers were also evacuated on Sunday. Two were extracted by helicopter, while the third was assisted by the search and rescue team to rappel down the canyon to safety.
