Zion National Park sees second hiker death
- A 43-year-old man died after an accidental fall while canyoneering in Spry Canyon at Zion National Park on April 22, authorities said Monday. - Washington County sheriff’s deputies said rescuers found the man unresponsive in a lower-level area of Spry Canyon and pronounced him dead at the scene. - The death came 11 days after Gilberto Ramos, 68, fell from Angels Landing’s chained section. (nps.gov)
A 43-year-old man died after an accidental fall while canyoneering in Spry Canyon at Zion National Park on Wednesday, April 22, authorities said. (deseret.com) Washington County Sheriff’s Sgt. Lucas Alfred told KSL the man fell from a lower-level area in Spry Canyon while canyoneering. Rescuers found him unresponsive, tried lifesaving measures, and pronounced him dead at the scene. (deseret.com) The sheriff’s office is investigating, and Alfred told KSL the death is being treated as accidental while that investigation continues. Authorities had not publicly released the man’s name as of Monday, April 28. (deseret.com) It was Zion’s second hiking-related death in less than two weeks. On April 17, a 68-year-old visitor fell from the chained section of Angels Landing at about 2 p.m., according to the National Park Service. (nps.gov) The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Utah medical examiner later identified that visitor as Gilberto Ramos of Laredo, Texas. The fall temporarily closed the West Rim Trail, including Scout Lookout and Angels Landing, during recovery efforts. (nps.gov) (deseret.com) Zion’s own safety guidance warns that falls from steep cliffs on trails have resulted in death and says loose sand or pebbles on stone can be very slippery. The park also warns that flash floods can form quickly in canyon terrain. (nps.gov) Spry Canyon is one of Zion’s technical canyoneering routes, where visitors move through narrow canyon sections using ropes and rappels. The park has recorded other fatal falls on technical routes in recent years, including a 2024 death near the exit of Heaps Canyon. (nps.gov) The two April deaths came as Zion’s busy season was already underway. The park’s shuttle service resumed on March 7 and is scheduled to run through November 28. (nps.gov) For now, investigators are still working through the Spry Canyon death. At Zion, two fatal falls in 11 days have put attention back on the park’s steep trails and technical canyon routes. (deseret.com) (nps.gov)
