1 day Ago By USA TODAY
Two people died at Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah after they fell from a viewing area, police said, according to local news reports . According to a press release from the Garfield County Sheriff's Office shared by local news , tourists spotted the bodies of two people on April 29. The bodies were seen below Inspiration Point inside the park.
Police said they currently do not know how the two people fell, but believe they had crossed over safety railings either late on April 28 or early April 29, ABC4 reported. According to ABC4 , the two people were identified by officials as 45-year-old Matthew Nannen and 58-year-old Bailee Crane. Officials said that the two people were living in a U-Haul rental but were last known to be permanent Florida residents before traveling to Utah "after spending a significant amount of time in Arizona.
" Neither the Garfield County Sheriff's Office nor the National Park Service immediately returned USA TODAY’s request for comment on April 30. Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southern Utah, about 140 miles east of St. George, Utah.
Other recent deaths at Bryce Canyon National Park In June 2024, a 78-year-old ranger, Tom Lorig, died due to injuries he sustained after he tripped and fell while on duty. Tom Lorig was working with park visitors, directing them to a shuttle bus at Bryce Canyon’s annual Astronomy Festival, when he fell and struck his head on a large rock, the National Park Service said in a news release. A visitor found Lorig unresponsive and immediately alerted a law enforcement ranger.
Park rangers, medically trained bystanders, and local EMS personnel provided Lorig with initial lifesaving care but were unable to revive him, NPS said. In 2023, Jeanne Roblez Howell, 64, an Arizona teacher considered "an experienced and enthusiastic hiker," was found dead in Campbell Canyon, after being missing for days . Contributing: Saman Shafiq and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY Fernando Cervantes Jr.
is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.
com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2 people found dead at Bryce Canyon National Park: Reports.
