Utah Man Is 2nd Hiker to Suffer Fatal Fall at Angels Landing at Zion National Park in Less Than a Month

A 43-year-old Utah man died after falling from Angels Landing in Zion National Park. 

On Friday search teams found Jason Hartwell’s body at the base of the summit of Angels Landing, a towering rock formation that is estimated to be 1,488-feet high, the National Park Service said in a release. 

Hartwell had “sustained injuries consistent with a high-elevation fall,” authorities said, The Mercury News reported.

Park officials were alerted to the incident on Thursday afternoon when park visitors said someone had fallen off Angels Landing. Search and rescue were initiated based upon the reports, the news outlet reported. 

Angels Landing is described as a strenuous trail with steep drop-offs and very narrow sections. It is one of the most popular hikes in Zion Park, according to All Trails Landing.

And, the national park describes the Angels Landing trail as a strenuous 5.8-mile round trip with long drop-offs “not for young children or anyone fearful of heights.” The hike takes about four hours, The Sacramento Bee reported.

Since the tragedy, normal park operations have resumed at Angels Landing. 

Hartwell's death comes less than a month after the last person to die hiking the steep trail. The body of Corbin McMillen, 42, of St. George, was found Feb. 19, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Hartwell and McMillen are two of at least five people who have died from falls near Angels Landing since 2017, the Tribune wrote.

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