College student dies in fall at Yosemite Half Dome — her tragic last words to her dad
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (WJW) — Loved ones are mourning the death of an Arizona State University student who died falling from the Half Dome rock formation in Yosemite National Park earlier this month.
Grace Rohloff, a 20-year-old Arizona woman, was hiking with her father Jonathan at Yosemite National Park on July 13, as reported by SFGATE and FOX 10 Phoenix.
Her father told SFGATE that Grace, an experienced hiker who had traveled thousands of miles with him over the years, considered the Half Dome an item on her bucket list.
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The pair and other hikers made their way to the top of a 400-foot stretch of the trail supported by cables, where they took photos of the Yosemite Valley below, SFGATE reported.
Skies were clear at the time, Jonathan told FOX 10 in an interview.
“She shared with me that she loved me and how she was so grateful to do that,” he told the news outlet. “It wasn’t long we heard that thunderclap and so we knew. I was like, ‘Grace, we’ve got to get down the mountain. We don’t want any rain.'”
As the hikers made their way back down the cables, a strong rainstorm rolled in, making the granite slick.
As reported by SFGATE, Jonathan recalled his daughter, who was wearing new hiking shoes at the time, saying, “Dad, my shoes are so slippery.”
He told her to take it one step at a time, but shortly after, Grace’s feet went out from under her and she slid off the side.
Grace fell 200 to 300 feet, and Jonathan told FOX 10 he rushed to get to his daughter, but the mountain was too steep.
“I continued to yell out to her and let her know, ‘I’m here, I love you. Hear my voice, I’m not going to leave you,'” Jonathan said in the interview.
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Rescuers were called to the scene and Grace’s body was later recovered. According to SFGATE, coroners believe she likely died of a serious head fracture during the fall.
Jonathan is now advocating for a safer cable system on the trail, FOX 10 reported.
The Half Dome rises 8,800 feet above sea level. The 14- to 16-mile hike to and from the Half Dome takes about 10 to 12 hours, according to the National Park Service.
The NPS website also says, “the two metal cables allow hikers to climb the last 400 feet to the summit without rock climbing equipment. Since 1919, relatively few people have fallen and died on the cables.”
FOX 8 News reached out to the National Park Service, who released the following statement:
“The incident is under investigation, and we can’t comment while it is ongoing.”
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