12 July 2023 , 12:53
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A woman fell 500 feet to her death while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park on Sunday.
The 26-year-old from Boulder, Colorado, was free-solo climbing on the Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge on Ypsilon Mountain when she fell off the side of the cliff face.
Her climbing partner notified park rangers, who sent search and rescue teams to find him and her body. The crews had to call in a helicopter from the Colorado Air National Guard to retrieve them, according to the National Park Service.
The 27-year-old man, also from Boulder, was uninjured. He had to be hoisted up "using a winch operated cable," a joint operation where the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group assisted.
A helicopter was called in to extract the woman's body (Colorado National Guard)The woman's body was hoisted out via a long line from the helicopter and flown to another area of the park, where it was then transferred to the Larimer County Coroner/Medical Examiner's Office.
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An official cause of death has yet to be announced. The victim's name will be released once a next of kin is notified.
The woman is not the only person to fall to her death in Rocky Mountain National Park this month, either.
On July 2, a man died after falling off the edge of a waterfall. He had been hiking near West Creek Falls on the eastern side of the park when he got submerged in the water and swept away.
The 25-year-old's body was recovered the following day.
The incident prompted authorities to caution hikers, urging them to avoid getting to close to the water's edge so they don't slip and get swept away by the current. The depth and speed of the water can be tricky to gauge, they said.
The woman isn't the only person to die in American national parks this month (nationalparkservice/Instagram)The man's official cause of death is yet unidentified, and his name has not been released yet.
Other national parks have also witnessed hiker deaths recently.
A Beaverton, Oregon, father plunged 200 feet to his death while hiking a cliff near Multnomah Falls on July 1. His entire family, including his five kids, were watching.
Gerardo Hernandez-Rodriguez's body was recovered shortly thereafter. The authorities had to call in a drone to locate it due to the difficult-to-navigate terrain.
Authorities believe alcohol played a role in the incident.
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While accidents are bound to happen from time to time, the incidents have called into question the safety of national parks.
Authorities continue to encourage hikers to exercise caution when venturing out.