Two people have died after a 116-metre fall from a viewing area in southern Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park.
Tourists spotted the bodies on Tuesday below Inspiration Point after the two hikers fell late Monday or early Tuesday, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the National Park Service’s website, Inspiration Point is an area that “provides a birds-eye view of the world’s largest collection of rock spires called ‘hoodoos’ found within the Bryce Amphitheater.”
Police say it is unknown how the man and woman fell but noted that they had crossed over safety railings and that they had their cat with them, who survived the fall.
Park rangers, search and rescue teams and a helicopter crew helped recover the bodies. The cat “was found in a black soft-sided carrier that was dirty and torn, but seemed to have weathered the fall fairly well,” according to the Best Friends Animal Society.
Officials identified the two people as Matthew Nannen, 45, and Bailee Crane, 58, according to the New York Times.
The two had been living in a U-Haul truck and their last known address was in Florida, according to the outlet.
The Best Friends Animal Society estimated that the cat is 12 years old. She was found next to Nannen and Crane’s bodies.
Get daily National news
The cat, who is now named Mirage, was taken to the Pawz Dogs boarding facility on Tuesday but the following day, Best Friends was contacted by the sheriff’s office and transported the cat to its Kanab location, according to CBS affiliate KUTV.
“She was matted and a bit sore, but friendly upon examination, as well as drinking and eating on her own,” the Best Friends Animal Society said.
It added that the cat’s bloodwork showed no signs of abnormality but staff were waiting on X-rays to determine whether she had any other injuries.
Bryce Canyon is a colourful maze of spires, cliffs and ravines eroded in soft rock and soil at the edge of a plateau. More than two million people visit the park every year.
This isn’t the first time someone has died due to injuries sustained at Bryce Canyon National Park.
In June 2024, Tom Lorig, a 78-year-old park ranger, died due to injuries he sustained after he tripped and fell while on duty.
Lorig was directing park visitors to a shuttle bus at Bryce Canyon’s Astronomy Festival when he fell and struck his head on a large rock.
A visitor found Lorig unresponsive and alerted a law enforcement ranger, who contacted local EMS personnel, who tried to provide him with life-saving care but were unable to revive him.
— With files from The Associated Press
Comments