Rangers recover body of woman who fell while canyoneering in Zion National Park

Rangers at Zion National Park recovered the body of a 26-year-old woman inside Mystery Canyon late Sunday who apparently fell while canyoneering.

The woman was alive when search and rescue teams found her but she died shortly after, park officials said.  Her name was not immediately released.

The woman had injuries consistent with a high-elevation fall, and witnesses who reported it said she had fallen some 50 to 80 feet, according to a news release from park officials. Canyoneering is a practice or sport of following a body of water through a canyon by walking, swimming, rafting, climbing, rappelling or other similar means.

A helicopter was sent to try to help rescue the woman but it was unable to access the scene because of the narrow canyon walls.

Park officials began searching for the woman Saturday, and several surrounding areas were closed during the operation, including The Narrows, Mystery and Orderville Canyons, the Temple of Sinanwava shuttle stop and Riverside Walk.

Zion, located about 20 miles north of the Utah-Arizona border, is known for its narrow canyons and massive sandstone cliffs.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office was assigned to investigate the incident.

Contributing: Associated Press