16-Mile Utah Hike Goes Horribly Wrong for Couple

Woman died, man was rescued in Zion National Park
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 25, 2022 9:48 AM CST
Hiker Dies in Cold Weather in Zion National Park
A woman died and a man was rescued and treated for hypothermia after they were caught in extreme cold weather while hiking in Utah's Zion National Park, officials said.   (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

A 16-mile overnight hike in Utah's Zion National Park went horribly wrong for a woman and her husband, authorities say. The National Park Service says the couple began the permitted hike through an area of the park known as the Narrows Tuesday and faced cold weather overnight, when the temperature dropped as low as 19 degrees Fahrenheit. Officials say the 33-year-old man left his 31-year-old wife on a trail early Wednesday and went to seek help after they both experienced symptoms of hypothermia, CNN reports. The park says other hikers administered CPR to the woman before a search and rescue team arrived but she did not survive.

The woman's husband was taken to the park's emergency operations center for treatment, NBC reports. The park says the man told officials that they became dangerously cold overnight. "The Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Office of the Medical Examiner, and the National Park Service are still investigating the cause of the woman’s death" the park said. The park said more than 20 search and rescue team members were involved in the response, and it appreciates the efforts of visitors who tried to help the couple. (In August, a hiker died after being swept away by a flash flood in the Narrows.)

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