Early Morning Hike Ends in Tragedy at National Park

An early morning hike near a world-famous arch ended in tragedy for a group of tourists on the day after Thanksgiving. An online post from the Grand County Sheriff's Office in Moab, Utah, says that at around 7:30am Friday, three people fell into the area below Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, leaving a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman dead and a 30-year-old man injured. The latter was airlifted out of the park and taken to a local hospital; his condition is unknown. Authorities say all three hailed from California and may have been related.

Chief Ranger Scott Brown tells KSL that park officials don't yet know what caused the three to fall, but that the trail leading up to what the National Park Service has dubbed "the world's most famous natural stone arch" had been wet and slick. The trail was temporarily closed off after the accident, but by late afternoon Friday it had been reopened, with a warning on the slippery conditions. Brown says they hope to have more info by Monday. (More national park stories.)