Body found in Zion National Park
A man was found dead Sunday after going missing during a hike in Zion National Park, the National Park Service announced.
The 34-year-old man’s body was pulled from the banks of the Virgin River. He and another hiker had began the Narrows hike, a popular trail that can require swimming depending on water levels, on Saturday.
Then the rain began. The man and his companion ended their hike early to get out of the bad weather but they became separated, stranded on opposite sides of the flooding river, the Park Service said.
They waited for about six hours and the river showed no sign of receding. So the 34-year-old man jumped in, hoping to swim down the river. Only two hours later, the river went down enough for his hiking partner to safely walk out of the canyons, and a search by park rangers for the missing man commenced.
The body was found at about 2 p.m. and has not yet been identified, according to the Park Service.
Contact reporter Annalise Little at alittle@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0391. Find her on Twitter: @annalisemlittle.