A pre-Thanksgiving trip through the Narrows at Zion National Park in Utah ended in tragedy when a 31-year-old woman died less than two miles from the end.
The unidentified couple had started the 16-mile trip on Tuesday morning, but became cold overnight and likely suffered from hypothermia, a park release said Thursday. Early Wednesday morning the 33-year-old man continued on to get help while his wife remained behind.
Park rangers encountered the man on Riverside Walk where other visitors were assisting him down the trail. Other visitors farther up the Narrows administered CPR to the woman before Zion Search and Rescue Team members arrived.
Team members transported the man to the Zion Emergency Operations Center. Farther up the Narrows, other team members found a non-responsive woman near the Virgin River. First responders administered emergency aid, but they determined she was deceased.
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Comments
Not the first death of the year in the Narrows reported here. Hikers need to learn and take it seriously.
We hiked it in August. I did not see any option that includes staying dry. I can't imagine doing it in November.
I have been to Zion Natural Park..this is probably the most big and beautiful natural landscaped park ever..but evidently the most dangerous..so take care.. always.
I am sorry to hear about another hiker that left unprepared after all of the postings about this one trail. The real pity is that this could have been avoided for less than $2 on Amazon for a space blanket that fits in your backback or even your back pocket. Please remember you are a visitor, not a resident. Research and Preparation are your friend.
Travel well fellow hikers.
Space blankets are okay, I've used them the problem is there kind of rigid they're hard to tuck in and a lot of heat will escape. But what works amazing is simply a painter's ground plastic sheet maybe 1 mm thick wrap yourself like potato and you'll retain 95% of your body heat will not Escape you'll be wet (moisture)"but you'll be quite warm, you could buy a 9x12 sheet for a few bucks and put it in your back pocket.
Excellent suggestion! Very light and flat EZ carry. Sheds rain. OK to be damp inside in emergency if you're staying warmer. An electric rechargeable hand warmer is small, portable, worked for me 8 hours to provide survival warmth inside. Would make the difference.
I've hiked the Narrows since 1983 and preparation is key, especially in November. The couple were wolfully unprepared.
For anyone else considering such a hile, what should one do to prepare? What are the possible pitfalls? This info could save lives.
Bring a space blanket and extra non-cotton layers. Know your athletic ability. Time your progress and assume you will get significantly slower over time due to fatigue. If you don't have enough time, turn back. You can also purchase emergency phones or beacons, although in this case it likely would not have helped in time.
You are walking in cold water which may come up to your chest. Prepare accordingly. The first time doing this, walk up the river from the pulpit parking area, the last shuttle stop. Get a feel for the hike and the water.
It's cold in November. I can't see doing this in November without special gear, like a wetsuit.
Forst thing is if you have to ask this question DONT consider it and seek out the knowledge. Someone in a comments section isnt gonna do that for you.
This is a 16 mile hike not a sunday stroll thru the tulips.. 2-3' times per week jog or hike 3-5 miles. Year around is best but at least 2 months before. Always a small pack with good shoulder straps. This is a 3--4 hour hike minimum. Start Hydrating 2-3 days before 30-40 oz of water. Load up on carbos for 2-3 days. If you do this than the pack just needs 1qt of water, high carbo bars minimal sugar avoid chocolate. Space blanket, gloves stocking hat, lightweight rain suit. The list is endless. Each person carries their own pack. This is what families and groups dont even think about. One person has a few items then something happens. Most importantly start the hike no less than 6 hours before sunset.
I have to respectfully disagree with some of your advice. Loading up on carbs prior is not helpful and science shows that during backpacking and long day hikes we use primarily fats as our main energy source. Check out the Gear Skeptic's evidence-based YouTube videos on fuel and nutrition and hydration during backpacking type activity. Also, I would venture an educated guess that many hikers will take a good 7 to 8 hours to complete a 16-mile hike. 1 liter of water for a 16 mile hike - you'd better be bringing a water filtration device because 1 liter is not enough to stay hydrated on any 16-mile hike unless there are water stations set up along the way. Further, drinking excess water prior to a long hike can be very detrimental. If you drink plain water excessively not only can you become low in blood sodium levels (hyponatremia), you can cause something called medullary washout, which means your kidneys temporarily lose their ability to preserve water and create appropriately concentrated urine in the face of even mild dehydration. Drink normally, eat normally before you go. If it will be warm enough that you will sweat a good bit, consider taking salt tablets with you or an electrolyte supplement drink.
This story touches my heart. Its important to say, the good advice being given here is for a very fit, hiker in a certain age group. Truthfully most vacationing people overestimate their own capabilities. It's easy to do, and we've all been guilty of the mistake on some given trek. For safety sake, especially outside your home territory, be painfully realistic, even overly cautious. You will thank yourself later for a fun trip rather than a narrow escape. No pun intended. I love the narrows but even as a very active 70 yo. a partial narrows trip is good enough. Take care of yourselves hiking friends. I wish you many happy miles.
That's tragic I hiked it with my brother and sister in April and we did 3 miles and back and we were dead exhausted and dry I can't imagine what she went through
Tragic for sure but aside from crowds, there is no reason in my mind why you wouldn't mame this trek in the Spring/Summer time.
Very sad. I'm wondering if an emergency blanket would have been sufficient to keep body temperatur up?
What no one is me toning here is that this wasn't the family friendly up and back Narrows hike that everyone does in a few hours. These people got a permit and did a 16 mile overnight trip, in frigid weather, while the trail is all in the watercourse, ankle to waist deep. I'm camping in the NP right now and it's in the high teens and low 20s at night. I am able to do this bc I have ample down sleeping bags, blankets, foam sleeping pads, many dry layers. You just cannot carry all that you need to overnight in those temperatures in a backpack, especially when wet. There is no way to dry out. Of course they got hypothermia.
They never should have done it in this weather.
"This is a 3-4 hour hike minimum", maybe if you are jogging. If your goal is hiker safety then be real about how long and difficult this hike is. Most people hike 2.5 miles per hour=6.5 hours for the average tourist.
The average does the bottom up
to maybe wall street if they make it that far. It tells you at a certsin point uou cant continue on without a permit. Yes i know some fo this in 8-10 hrs from the top down but my its a risky hike with also risks with weather, flash floods besides being wet most the time. the bottom up is a short hike in and hime back out, well traversed with people where the other isnt.
I just finished the hike on the Tuesday (4 miles in and out) before thanksgiving, it was very cold...I rented wet gear and my feet were wet and cold. I packed food/snacks and water. I had a clear plan and aware of my abilitie. Many folks have already given good advice and I will add...there's no shame in turning around at anytime, if you're cold, wet and tired. It was one of the hardest hikes I've done as you are pushing through moving cold curre. Rest well, fellow hiker.
Not the same hike. Same trail.. but they did the upper part down that you cant access from the bottom.
All of the advice posted here is terrible. The Narrows top down should never be undertaken at this time of the year with anything less than a full body dry suit... in addition to any camping gear you're taking along (sleeping bag, tent) that should be rated for less than 20 degree temperatures
I lived/worked at the South Rim of Grand Canyon AZ in 1989. Unfortunately I saw unprepared hikers get themselves into trouble. Educate yourself about the hike and be prepared.
Something to insulate you from the ground along with your space blanket
Just last week in New Hampshire, a 20 yr old girl died from hypothermia after went hiking in a treacherous area in one the parks and took a fall. She wasn't dressed appropriately for the weather, and had no survival gear whatsoever. People need to understand that there's more to this than taking a walk around the block at home...
It is nearly the dead of winter. Too isolated a trip to do this time of year. The combination of extreme cold and being wet for extended time periods (which you have no choice about when hiking the Narrows, since you must walk mostly IN the Virgin River, up to your waist at times) can be lethal. They should have waited at least until April to do this trip.
My sympathy to the family.
I hiked Narrows twice in the last 3 years . I always hiked during summer where the day time temps are above 90 . The water would still be in 50s as it's coming from melting ice . I never even thought Its open during winters .. Also , it took around 8 hrs for a hike till the wall st.. I cannot believe someone attempted this in freezing temperatures without realizing and preparing for these situations..