ST. GEORGE – A body discovered in Zion National Park Wednesday has been identified by park officials. They believe the cause of death to be self-inflicted.
The body has been identified as a 23-year-old man from San Diego, California, the National Park Service said in a short statement Saturday.
“The cause of death was blunt force trauma from a fall of approximately 500 feet, ruled suicide,” NPS officials said in the statement.
The name of the individual involved is not being released.
The body was found by park rangers at the base of the Great Arch Wednesday evening after they were alerted to the presence of an abandoned vehicle in the area of the Canyon Overlook Trail earlier that day.
The body was recovered Thursday morning with the aid of a helicopter.
The last death reported in Zion National Park was in March, when a hiker fell from Angel’s Landing.
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It might interest your readers to know why they believe it is a suicide! What indications do they have?
That is a painful way to die. I agree with DRT. What factors made them determine suicide?
With a 500 foot fall ur gonna splatter on a rock below and it would likely be quick. Maybe they found a note?
I was picturing a roll with a bone breaking here and then another one and so on.
Condolences to the family, that’s a tough situation to cope with