Two Las Vegans die at Zion

SALT LAKE CITY -- The bodies of two 23-year-old Las Vegas men who planned to float a dangerous river in Zion National Park were identified Tuesday.

The National Park Service said Daniel Chidester and Jesse Scaffidi were planning to ride a log raft down the north fork of the Virgin River in the park, about 140 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

Authorities recovered the bodies Monday.

Family members told authorities the men set out Wednesday or Thursday and planned to hike into the top of The Narrows, then build a log raft and float to Hurricane, Utah, a distance of some 50 miles. The men failed to return from the trip Sunday as expected.

They didn't notify rangers about their plans , park ranger Ron Terry said.

The park service would not have issued a hiking permit in The Narrows because of the danger of high water, nor would officials have approved the plan to build a log raft, he said.