ALPINE, Utah, June 8, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The body of a 19-year-old hiker was recovered downstream from Horsetail Falls where her phone, dog and other belongings were found the day before.
Sgt. Garrett Dutson, Utah County Sheriff’s Office, told Gephardt Daily that the items left behind were discovered Friday by other hikers, who notified law enforcement at about 3 p.m.
“There was a cell phone and a dog and some personal items, and no one was around,” Dutson said. “They found that a little suspicious, and thought maybe the person had fallen in the water.”
Investigators believe the woman was swept away by the high, rushing water, he said. Search crews scoured the area for hours, and when night fell, officials determined it was unsafe to put their crews into the dangerous creek in the darkness. They returned to the area this morning.
“This morning, that female’s body was recovered around 11 o’clock,” Dutson said. “It was a 19-year-old female from Utah County.”
Dutson said there is no evidence of foul play.
“It’s just a tragic accident, and the water is swift and super high and moving super fast,” he said. “The rocks are slippery and the water is cold. They think it was 30 to 40 degrees.”
The search was intensive, as was the recovery operation, Dutson said. Extra care was taken to safeguard the crews entering that same high, rushing, frigid water.
As of 1 p.m., a Department of Public Safety helicopter remained on scene, ferrying workers and needed supplies between the command post and the recovery site a couple miles away.
Gephardt Daily will have more information as the story develops.
Dutson urged everyone to keep a safe distance from rushing water, which is especially high and dangerous this year because of the speed at which the snowpack is melting.
