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BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON — A woman died after falling while hiking near Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon Saturday.
Ana Maria Raya, a 40-year-old from Salt Lake County, was hiking with family members when she slipped and fell approximately 100 feet around 2:30 p.m., Unified police detective Ken Hansen said. Both Unified police and Unified Fire Authority officials responded, but Hansen said it was apparent she had died following the fall.
Hansen said an increase of water due to run off made the popular hiking trail — and especially shale rock on the trail — more slippery.
"Because of the run off, it's a little different hike than it normally is," Hansen said.
Harvey McCain was hiking the trail with a friend Saturday
"The water is running pretty good, pretty fast, especially by the falls," McCain said. "We got up to the falls and somebody said we had to go back."
The trail was closed for a few hours as crews recovered the woman's body. Hansen said it had been reopened by 7 p.m.
"It's a beautiful, gorgeous spring day and it's terrible something like this happened," hiker Rex Kocherhans said.
Officials said accidents in Utah's canyons aren't unusual as warm weather invites more people outdoors. But Hansen urged anyone hiking along the Wasatch Front to make sure they have the proper footwear and equipment.
The woman's name has not been released, pending notification of family.
