In what has to be one of the saddest stories I've heard in a long time -- an 18-year-old woman fell and plummeted 400 feet to her death while she was posing for a picture on a rocky ledge at Yellowstone National Park. She was apparently out hiking on the North Rim Trail of the Grand Canyon with friends when she decided to venture off the beaten path to have her picture taken at a spot known as "Inspiration Point." As she sat down on the edge of the 1,500 foot deep canyon, the rocks gave way and there was nothing anyone could do to save her.
And what makes this story even more devastating is that she was planning on spending her entire summer at Yellowstone working with a concessions company -- and the accident happened on her very first day on the job.
My heart absolutely sunk when I heard about what happened to this poor girl, because I can't even begin to fathom what must have been going through her mind during her last final seconds. She had to have realized she was about to lose her life and was powerless to stop herself from falling.
And what makes the accident so much harder to stomach is the excitement she must have been feeling after kicking off her summer working at one of the most beautiful parks in the world. Being that she was only 18, she had a whole life of adventures ahead of her. To have them taken away simply because she wanted to have a photograph to commemorate her journey is just nothing short of tragic.
My condolences go out to her family, because I can't think of anything more horrifying as the parent of a teenager than to finally cut the cord & let your daughter out into the world -- only to have the unthinkable happen. As much as all parents want to keep their kids safe -- there's also a point where you have to let go and allow them to find their own way in life. Perhaps her family can find some peace in the fact that their daughter was chasing her dreams and living her life to fullest -- even though her time was cut short in such a terrible way.
My thoughts and prayers are definitely with them as they try and come to terms with their unimaginable loss.
What words of sympathy would you offer to this family?
Image via Redeo/Flickr
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Comments 58
I agree with DCR1 and I will take a risk here myself and add this : there are no short cuts to life and it is a very sad event here, but this loss of life is never on anyone's timetable, I always ask myself was this an accident or divine intervention? The future is never clear but our death is.
It's horrible and my heart goes out to the family, but cripes! I'd never sit that close to the edge!
Just an awful and very sad story! Of course, my condolences to the family and the rest of the young people who were with her. This is and will continue to be a serious trauma for all of them to endure.
Please, kids and adults, stay off the edges of cliffs. I mean, they give way! This is just horrendous! I felt sick when I first heard the story.
May her memory be a blessing to all that knew and loved her and may they come to a place of peace and acceptance.
I have been doing geyser research in Yellowstone for 3 decades. It's amazing and tragic how many people don't realize that it's not Disneyland. They get themselves killed going into banned thermal areas, "tasting" (yes TASTING) geyser water or swimming in thermal areas, kicking bison to get them to move to take a photo, going onto rock ledges for photos.
My gut fears through the years were precisely that my young daughter, now 20, wouldn't get the life or death importance of paying attention and not taking it for granted. One misstep on a boardwalk near a hot pool and you aren't going home.
Yellowstone is an awesome, phenominal place that can be so devistatingly deadly.
My heart goes out to the family.
Yes, there must have been safer places to take a photo while still capturing the beauty of the park. I can't imagine the feelings going through your mind when you know that you're seconds away from dying and not being able to do anything about it. Hopefully, she had a strong relationship with God, and she's in heaven.
anytime a someone dies its sad. I wouldnt say its the most tragic because young people die everyday