17-year-old girl dies in Utah after falling 30 feet while hiking with friends

A teenage girl in Moab, Utah, has died after falling about 30 feet while hiking with friends.

The police confirmed the fact of the tragedy in the village news release shared on social media.

The 17-year-old girl, who has not been identified, was hiking with friends just after 4:00 p.m. local time when she “somehow slipped and fell.” The group she was with called 911 and tried to reach her, but there was “no safe way to do so,” police said.

Search and rescue personnel, along with the Moab Fire Department and EMS, were able to ascend to the area above where the girl fell. They used harnesses and climbing ropes to descend to the victim, but she “died from the fall.”

Her body was found two hours later.

The Moab Police Department and the Grand County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene.

“The Moab Police Department would like to extend our deepest condolences to her family and friends,” MPD Chief Jared Garcia wrote in a news release. “We are aware of the devastating impact of losing a beloved young woman and friend in this small community, but please know that the wonderful people of Moab will come together to support and comfort her family and friends at this time.”

Moab, in eastern Utah, is a town of 5,300 people. It is known for its proximity to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. The area also has massive red rock formations and archaeological sites where dinosaur footprints can still be found.