17-year-old girl dies in Utah after falling 30 feet while hiking with friends

A teenage girl in Moab, Utah, is dead after falling about 30 feet while hiking with friends. 

Police confirmed the tragedy in a news release shared on social media. 

The 17-year-old, who has not been identified, was hiking with friends just after 4 p.m. local time when she “somehow slipped and fell.” The group she was with called 911 and tried to get to her, but there was “no safe way to do so,” police said. 

Search and rescue personnel, along with members of the Moab Fire Department and EMS responders, were able to climb into the area above where the girl fell. They used harnesses and roped climbing gear to rappel down to the victim, but she was “deceased from the fall.” 

Her body was recovered two hours later. 

The Moab Police Department and the Grand County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene. 

“Moab Police Department wants to extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and friends,” MPD chief Jared Garcia wrote in the news release. “We recognize the devastating impact the loss of a beloved young woman and friend has in this small community, but know that wonderful people of Moab will band together to support and comfort her family and friends at this time.” 

Moab, in eastern Utah, is a city of 5,300 people. It is known for its proximity to the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. The area also features massive red rock formations and archeological sites where dinosaur footprints can still be found.