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Death Valley National Park Visitor Dies In Apparent Fall From Manly Beacon

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Published Date

April 6, 2020
A visitor to Death Valley National Park died in an apparent fall from Manly Beacon/NPS file

A visitor to Death Valley National Park died in an apparent fall from Manly Beacon, a prominent outcrop below Zabriskie Point/NPS file

A visitor to Death Valley National Park who apparently tried to climb Manly Beacon was found dead at the base of the prominent landmark below Zabriskie Point in the park.

A hiking party of three reported the discovery Saturday afternoon near the Zabriskie Point trailhead, according to a release Monday from the Inyo County Sheriff's Office. That afternoon a sheriff's deputy and Death Valley rangers who responded found the man's body and estimated that he had fallen approximately 300 feet from Manly Beacon.

Due to lack of sufficient resources and time, a recovery was not attempted that evening. On Sunday, Inyo County Sheriff's search and rescue coordinators, Inyo County search and rescue personnel, and Death Valley park rangers recovered the body from its position up a steep and loose draw. A helicopter was used to lift the victim's body out of the area and transfer it to the Inyo County Coroner's Office.

A rental vehicle was located at the trailhead; Death Valley rangers reported the vehicle as being there for about three days prior to the discovery of the decedent.  The identity of the recovered body was pending positive identification by the Inyo County coroner.

While Death Valley was officially closed Saturday morning due to the coronavirus pandemic, many people in the park that day didn't yet know it was officially closed. 

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