A 26-year-old woman has died after falling in a canyon at a U.S. national park in Utah. The National Park Service’s press release states the woman’s body was recovered Sunday evening from Mystery Canyon at Zion National Park.
CBS reports the woman was canyoneering alone and fell 50 to 80 feet Saturday afternoon. Canyoneering is practice of following a body of water through a canyon by walking, swimming, rafting, climbing, rappelling or other similar means. Crews launched a search and rescue effort that closed various areas of the park.
A helicopter was sent to rescue the woman but was unable to pull her out “due to the steep, narrow canyon walls.” Medics later reached the woman before she died a short time later. The woman had injuries consistent with “high-elevation fall,” park officials said. The National Park Service and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office were investigating the death. Portions of the park were closed as crews worked in the area.