Yellowstone Death 2012: 18-Year-Old Woman Dies In 400-Foot Fall At Inspiration Point

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- The National Park Service says an 18-year-old woman has died in an accidental fall near Inspiration Point in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

The Park Service says the accident occurred Thursday afternoon.

The victim's name was not immediately released, pending notification of relatives. However, the Park Service says she was a Yellowstone concession employee on her first day in the park.

She was hiking a canyon trail with three other acquaintances when she ventured off trail onto a loose rock promontory, which gave way underneath her.

Her body was retrieved Friday about 400 feet down the canyon wall.

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Flickr image courtesy of Daveynin

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Comments

[squidchin]

07:58 PM on 08/04/2012

I guess her early career in cliff diving went horribly wrong

[squidchin]

07:57 PM on 08/04/2012

I wonder if she liked the song free falling by Tom Petty, or if her favorite guitarist was the Edge form U2

[PinkoPanther]

12:12 PM on 06/13/2012

This is too sad... I remember my first day working at Yellowstone and how magical it all was. I had never really breathed actual CLEAN air before that day... and everyone I met at the park was so nice. I was a residence coordinator in the Lake Hotel area and we were all given very strict instructions to always stay on the trails, especially in steep areas or places with geysers...
But in this poor girls defense, it's very easy to "lose track of yourself" when you're just getting used to things for the first time... Pictures don't do the park justice. Unless you've been there, you can't understand how HUGE the terrain is... It's disorienting.

[twinkielite]

09:39 PM on 06/11/2012

We saw some young boys jumping over the fence at the Grand Canyon to another rock that was 12 ft. away. This was up in the clouds high. They think it's funny until they die. There are signs and they ignore them.

[twinkielite]

09:31 PM on 06/11/2012

I hated to see this being me and my family were there the day before she fell. I saw how high we were up and was walking very carefully around that area. It's ashame. Every time I see the photo of my family at the spot she fell, I remember her. SAD.
What's really sad is that people don't take the signs seriously. We were in the Hot Geyser areas, and they have signs everywhere to tell you to stay on the path. One man got off the wood path to take a closer photo of the geyser and thought he was invincible. I was waiting for him to fall in. It's very unstable area. People just think they are kidding for some reason. People are idiots. I feel sorry for the girl. She was said to have been sitting on a rock looking over and the rock gave way. I don't think it was her fault, though the park has to make it seem like it was for their butts to be covered.

[DoJnD]

04:03 PM on 06/11/2012

I know this is tragic, but I can't help thinking about Happy Days whenever I hear the words "inspiration point."

[StopMakingSense2]

03:48 PM on 06/11/2012

Darwin working his magic again! I thought conservatives were going to revoke survival of the fittest outside of economics!

[Andrew Harvey]

08:06 PM on 06/11/2012

Your screen name does you justice.

[Nina Reid]

02:06 PM on 06/11/2012

That is just awful. Why do girls go off the trail... not only for the naturally unsafe reasons but isnt that how they all get nabbed and raped, tortured, killed, etc..... Most people have the misconception that its a national park so they don't have to worry about their safety. The Gov does so much to intervene into everything to make things safe that people don't feel they have to worry when the Gov is involved-- "they wouldn't let us this close to the edge if there was any danger" They think the same of those rope bridges they have over bottomless pit too.... again, "they wouldn't have them if there was any danger"....... but that is sadly untrue... if it looks dangerous it is, no matter who is in charge of it.

[Toni Goodman]

06:12 PM on 06/11/2012

You must watch a lot of Lifetime.

[Janetshusb]

02:04 PM on 06/11/2012

There are signs all over all national parks telling people to stay on the trails. There is a reason for those signs.

[csmith2720]

02:01 PM on 06/11/2012

I agree with many of the poster, this is very sad. I disagree with all the comments about more
regulations, more this and more that. This woman was an adult as are most of the people that
have died or had accidents Yellowstone or Grand Canyon. We don't need more regulations in this
world. People have a right to do what they wish; venture off the path, hang their feet over the edge, etc. etc....I am sure if one stays on the designated path they are relatively safe, but then again there are bears, mountain lions, snakes on and on. If is one's choice to experience or not experience this endeavor, for me no, but who is the one to make decisions for others.

[Erik Rieder]

12:33 PM on 06/11/2012

The first day on the job is always the worst :'(

[CleoX3]

11:02 AM on 06/11/2012

Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon two places I probably should never go. I agree with pinkfloydfan41. I don't understand why parks, etc. don't do more to prevent things like this from happening. I had a friend who's very versed on survival and "nature things" and he almost died at the Grand Canyon. It just seems to me that the federal government should be supplying additional funds to keep people safe. These parks have people pay to wander basically at their own risk something about that is just irresponsible in my opinion.

[KrassC]

11:29 AM on 06/11/2012

There are signs all over those parks. However given the scope of how large those parks are, it would be almost impossible to warn visitors at every turn. It's no more dangerous than crossing the street IMO. Use common sense and pay attention.

[madmartagen]

02:15 PM on 06/11/2012

Exactly! These aren't city parks after all...lol. The Mojave Desert covers over 22,000 square miles and stretches across parts of four States.

[acabee]

12:04 PM on 06/11/2012

Irresponsible? I ignored the bear and cougar warning signs in a park. I am sure others did the same thing or else they wouldn't camp in there. Do you think we should require park rangers to train all visitors before entering the park?

[pinkfloydfan41]

05:22 AM on 06/11/2012

seems to me the parks can do more to prevent this from happening on their trails.
what a terrible loss for her family.she is in a better place.we all will go to heaven.

[MisterTim]

07:38 AM on 06/11/2012

The article says that she went off the trail.

[Jake Stine]

11:03 AM on 06/11/2012

Yeah, its way past time we fence in all the trails with barb wire. I mean, omg. A few people a year die in state parks. That's like 1/100th as many as those who die driving to/from those very same parks. Totally unacceptable. Something must be done.

[richodg5]

03:38 AM on 06/11/2012

Man that's horrible.

[Dunta Aska]

05:14 PM on 06/11/2012

Yeah, i said the same thing. People are saying that it's dangerous to even visit these places. I've always at the least thought it would be sure-proof tourist safe.

[onebluebrick]

09:54 PM on 06/10/2012

Poor thing.

[T Robertson]

11:29 AM on 06/11/2012

Oh my God, how awful.