News Release

Fatality at Canyonlands National Park

Date: July 13, 2024
Contact: Karen Garthwait, 435-260-0713

MOAB, UT—On Friday afternoon, July 12, 2024, San Juan County Dispatch received a 911 text from a person at the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park. The 23-year-old woman and her 52-year-old father, both from Green Bay, Wisconsin, had been hiking on the Syncline Trail, gotten lost, and run out of water. The air temperature at the time was over 100°F.  

National Park Service rangers and Bureau of Land Management Moab District Helitack personnel responded and initiated a search operation. When they were located, the two individuals were already deceased. Utah’s Department of Public Safety provided additional assistance. San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and the National Park Service are investigating this incident. No additional information is available at this time.  

While temperatures remain high this summer, park visitors are advised to carry and drink plenty of water and avoid strenuous activity during midday heat.