America is home to some of the most diverse landscapes in the world, and our national parks are among some of the most beautiful on the planet, too. But when you’re out exploring, it’s important to follow the rules and take good care of yourself – because one small slip can mean losing your life.
And that’s, unfortunately, exactly what happened to one man who was recently canyoneering in Zion National Park.
At a glance:
- A 40-year-old man fell 150 to 200 feet to his death while canyoneering in Zion National Park’s Heaps Canyon.
- Emergency responders arrived, but the man was pronounced dead before he could be taken to a hospital.
- The incident marks another fatality in Heaps Canyon, a notoriously dangerous area in the park.
A tragic accident occurred on Saturday, when a 40-year-old man fell to his death while canyoneering in Utah’s Zion National Park. According to the National Park Service (NPS), the man fell between 150 and 200 feet near the exit of Heaps Canyon, a challenging area known for its technical terrain and dangerous rappels.
The man, whose identity has not yet been released, was canyoneering with three others, following an approved route through Heaps Canyon. The fall occurred around 6 p.m. as the group neared the end of their journey. Emergency services were immediately contacted, and a rescue operation was launched by the Zion National Park Technical Search and Rescue Team, in coordination with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lokgZCLtdbE&list=RDNSlokgZCLtdbE&start_radio=1
Emergency responders, including Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue and Intermountain Life Flight, arrived on the scene via a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter and provided medical care. Despite these efforts, the man was pronounced dead before he could be transported to a hospital for further treatment.
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time,” said Jeff Bradybaugh, superintendent of Zion National Park, in a public statement. The park and local authorities are continuing their investigation into the exact cause of the fall.
Two of the three other members of the group were safely extracted from the canyon early Sunday morning with the help of a DPS helicopter. The third person, assisted by Zion’s search-and-rescue team, rappelled down the canyon and reached the ground safely by Sunday afternoon.
This incident is not the first fatality in Heaps Canyon, which the NPS describes as a strenuous and dangerous canyon with an approximate 3,000-foot descent, multiple cold-water rappels, and a final 280-foot rappel to the Upper Emerald Pool area. Previous accidents in the area include the death of a 24-year-old man in 2015 and a 31-year-old in 2021, both of whom fell while navigating the same difficult terrain.
Take good care of yourself out there, hikers…