NPS - National Park Service

04/20/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/20/2026 17:00

Visitor Fatality at Zion National Park Identified

Date:
April 20, 2026
Contact: Zion News Desk

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah - The Washington County Sheriff's Office and the State of Utah, Office of the Medical Examiner, have identified the visitor who died Friday following a fall as Gilberto Ramos, 68, of Laredo, Texas, after reports that a hiker fell from the chained section of the Angels Landing trail on April 17, 2026, at approximately 2 p.m.

Park rangers and local law enforcement agencies responded to the incident after receiving reports from visitors. The deceased was located on the north side of Angels Landing in Zion Canyon near Big Bend. Recovery operations concluded the evening of April 17, and the remains were transferred to the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the State of Utah Office of the Medical Examiner.

The West Rim Trail, including Scout Lookout and Angels Landing, was temporarily closed during response and recovery operations.

The National Park Service and the Washington County Sheriff's Office are investigating the incident.

Angel's Landing will be closed April 20 - 23 due to pre-scheduled maintenance unrelated to Friday's incident.

NPS - National Park Service published this content on April 20, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 20, 2026 at 23:00 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]