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ANTELOPE ISLAND — Officials on Sunday identified the woman whose body was found Friday at Antelope Island State Park after she was dropped off for a day of hiking.
Samantha Weigel, 40, was from Syracuse.
Weigel's husband dropped her off on Antelope Island at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Friday for a hike, Utah State Parks Lt. Eric Stucki told KSL. The man planned to pick her up at a designated meeting spot later in the day.
Weigel hiked from the north end of the island to the west side. When she was in the Elephant Head area sometime in the mid-morning to early afternoon, she sustained "serious head and neck injuries," according to a release from the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation.
The woman's husband called dispatch and reported her overdue at approximately 6:00 p.m. Friday, Stucki said. Park rangers, Davis County Sheriff's Search and Rescue, and a Department of Public Safety helicopter were sent to the scene.
Park rangers and the Department of Public Safety helicopter located the body amid their flyover at approximately 9 p.m. Friday night, Stucki stated. The body was recovered and moved from the island by approximately 11 p.m.
"She had a great plan," Stucki said, noting that the woman had followed safety procedures for hiking alone. "She'd told her husband where to meet and what time to meet; and when she didn't show up and rendezvous with him, he was able to call and notify dispatch. Tragic ending, but that's what we teach people to do."
A medical examiner determined that foul play is not expected, the Parks and Recreation division said.
