Missteps in Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, and Zion national parks during the past five days have killed three people.

At Zion in Utah a local man who went to hike Angels Landing fell to his death sometime last Thursday. At Grand Teton, a snowboarder was killed Monday by an avalanche, and on Tuesday the body of a California woman was recovered below the South Rim of Grand Canyon.

Zion National Park Fatality

National Park Service officials on Monday were informed by the Medical Examiner’s Office that the body located in the park Friday afternoon was that of Corbin McMillen, 42, of St. George, Utah.

McMillen told his mother that he was going to hike the Angels Landing Trail at Zion last Thursday. His unoccupied vehicle, parked at the Grotto Trailhead, was identified by park rangers around midnight that evening. After confirming the vehicle was still parked unoccupied at the Grotto parking lot, a formal search began on Friday morning.

Later that afternoon, members of the search team found McMillen’s body at the base of Moonlight Buttress. The summit of Moonlight Buttress is a feature located on the West Rim Trail near Angels Landing.

According to the preliminary investigation, McMillen’s sustained injuries consistent with a high-elevation fall, probably from the summit of Moonlight Buttress. 

Grand Teton National Park Fatality

A party of three Jackson, Wyoming, area residents departed from the Taggart Lake Trailhead on Monday morning with an intent to ski the Broken Thumb Couloir. The party was skiing one at a time in the upper part of the couloir. Matthew Brien, 33, of Jackson, who was leading the group, entered the narrow area of the couloir above the "rappels" when an avalanche occurred.

The avalanche was up to two feet deep and fractured fifty to 100 feet above Brien, sweeping him over the rappel and downslope for approximately 1,000 feet, a park release said.

A Wyoming snowboarder was killed when an avalanche ran over him on the Broken Thumb Route. Dotted line shows the route/Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center

Other members of the ski party reported the incident to the Teton Interagency Dispatch Center, and also called two friends who were skiing down canyon on an FRS radio and told them about the avalanche. Both parties made their way to Brien and found him partially buried. They removed him from the debris and initiated CPR.

The Teton County Search and Rescue helicopter with park rangers immediately responded with aerial reconnaissance to determine if a short-haul rescue would be an option. Due to gusty winds, short-haul was not feasible. The helicopter landed on Taggart Lake and rescue personnel skied to the scene.

Brien suffered significant trauma and was declared dead at the scene. His body was flown to a frontcountry location and transferred to the Teton County Coroner.

The other members of the parties skied out.

Grand Canyon National Park Fatality

On Tuesday the National Park Service located a body below the South Rim near Trailview Overlook along the Hermit Road.

The body was recovered and identified as Lillian Meyn, 31, of Woodside, California. Body recovery teams were able to reach the victim, who was located approximately 300 feet below the rim, Tuesday morning. On Monday, Meyn was reported missing by a family member. Later that day her vehicle was located on the South Rim of Grand Canyon near the Bright Angel Lodge.

An investigation into the incident was being conducted by the National Park Service and the Coconino Medical Examiner. 

Two rangers stand at the edge of the Grand Canyon during a recovery operation/NPS