Arizona College Student Dies After 200-Foot Fall During Yosemite Hike
An Arizona college student expressed concern about her "slippery" shoes moments before she lost her footing and fell 200 feet to her death during a routine hiking trip struck by a rainstorm, her heartbroken father revealed.
Grace Rohloff, 20, was hiking with her father, Jonathan Rohloff, when she tragically died at Yosemite National Park on July 13, according to SFGate.
Rohloff had organized a 16-mile round-trip hike to Half Dome, Yosemite's iconic rock formation. The pair successfully reached the top and enjoyed its scenic views.
Trouble began as they descended and storm clouds began to roll in. “A black cloud was rolling in like gangbusters,” Jonathan Rohloff told the outlet. “I was like, ‘We have got to get down now because we don’t want to be up here with any rain. It rolled in literally out of nowhere.’”
Grace, an Arizona State University student, had bought new hiking shoes for the 16-mile hike. However, as the rain poured, she realized a problem about three-quarters of the way down the 4,800-foot rock formation. “Dad, my shoes are so slippery,” she told her father.
The pair's descent halted as they chose not to pass inexperienced hikers also trying to descend. Jonathan, who was below his daughter, tried to ease her nerves, advising her to take it "one step at a time." Despite this, Grace lost her footing and slid past her horrified father. “She just slid off to the side, right by me, down the mountain,” Jonathan recounted. “It happened so fast. I tried to reach my hand up, but she was already gone.”
Jonathan estimates his daughter fell 200 to 300 feet, likely hitting her head on the rock during the fall. He couldn’t reach her due to the steepness of the mountain and called for another hiker to contact 911.
Though the fall was severe, Jonathan hoped she might still be alive and shouted, “I’m here. I’m not going to leave you. If you can hear my voice, give me a sign. I love you.” He and other hikers began to pray.
Erin McGlynn, who witnessed the tragedy, described Jonathan's actions as both heartbreaking and brave. “He did everything he possibly could have.”
After three hours of waiting, a rescue helicopter reached Grace and confirmed she did not survive. The Mariposa County coroner's office later revealed she died from a head fracture.
Jonathan found some comfort knowing his daughter likely died during the fall. “If she was gone, that she didn’t have to suffer,” he told the outlet.
Grace, an experienced hiker studying to become a teacher at Arizona State University, had tackled challenging hikes like Angel’s Landing at Zion National Park in the snow. Since 1948, at least 15 people have died on the cables and top of Half Dome, according to The World Travel Guy.
Following the tragedy, Jonathan called the climb “unnecessarily dangerous” and advocated for more safety precautions. “It’s not going to bring my daughter back, but I would like to strongly advocate for a safer way to get to the top of Half Dome,” he told SFGate.
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