Utah man dies after falling at Zion National Park
SPRINGDALE, Utah — Authorities have identified a 43-year-old Utah man believed to have fallen from a towering rock formation in Zion National Park.
The body of Jason Hartwell, 43, of Draper, was found Friday at the base of Angels Landing and showed signs of injuries consistent with a high-level fall, park officials said.
Park visitors had reported Thursday night that someone had fallen off the rocky promontory, triggering a search operation.
The death was being examined by the park service in coordination with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, officials said.
A steep, winding trail that climbs up Angels Landing and the surrounding area have seen numerous fatal accidents, including a 42-year-old Utah man whose body was found Feb. 19.
Recent park deaths (partial list)
2019: A Maine woman died in a high-elevation fall in November.
2018: The body of a 13-year-old girl was found in Zion’s Refrigerator Canyon in February.
2016: A climber fell to his death while climbing a popular route in March.
2015: A 50-year-old Utah man died in a canyoneering accident in October. A month earlier, six people died during a flash flood inside a narrow canyon. In July, Brian Artmann, 24, of Henderson, fell to his death while climbing Heaps Canyon.
2014: A BASE jumper died in the park in March. A month earlier, a Utah woman died when her parachute failed to open after she leapt from a peak overlooking the park.
2010: In July, Corey Buxton, a 17-year-old senior at Centennial High School, was found in a ravine. Months earlier, two “Las Vegas area hikers” died during an expedition inside the park.
