According to park officials, a hiker was discovered dead on a trail in Utah’s Zion National Park this week after her husband sought assistance while it was below zero outside.
The 31-year-old woman, who was not publicly recognized, and her 33-year-old husband started their 16-mile overnight journey Tuesday along the park’s Narrows, according to a statement from the National Park Service.
According to officials, the cold weather caused the trekkers to slow down.
According to the service, the woman was located Wednesday morning close to the Virgin River by members of the Zion National Park Search and Rescue Team.
According to the National Park Service’s announcement, other hikers had attempted CPR.
The service stated that once her husband arrived at Riverside Walk, he was escorted to the park’s emergency operations centre for treatment. He couldn’t tell what he was feeling.
According to park officials, more than 20 rescuers were dispatched to assist the couple.
The couple’s journey, which began on Tuesday, included a hike along the Narrows, a 20 to 30-foot wide trail surrounded by 1,000-foot sandstone walls, with a river in the middle that is rumoured to overflow.
The National Park Service said in a statement that “the man reported they became dangerously cold overnight and experienced symptoms consistent with hypothermia.”
According to officials, the spouse continued on the trail to the well-known Riverside Walk where he sought assistance.
The two were then roughly 1.5 kilometres from the main, paved, facility-equipped route. The couple’s awareness of their proximity to the passageway was unclear. Despite bright days with highs in the mid-sixties, the park this week experienced low temperatures that were about 30 degrees below freezing, according to the National Weather Service.
According to park officials, the death was under investigation by the park service, Utah medical examiner, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Flash floods on the Narrows in late August knocked some hikers off their feet. Three days later, 29-year-old hiker, Jetal Agnihotri was discovered dead in the Virgin River.
The park, which is well-known for its high desert geologic art, spans 148,016 acres in southwest Utah.
