Date: June 17, 2009
Contact: Al Nash or Stacy Vallie, (307) 344-2015
Officials are searching for the body of a Utah man who apparently committed suicide by jumping off the edge of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Tuesday afternoon.
The 20 year old was last seen about 1:50 p.m. on the observation platform at the Brink of the Lower Falls, along the north rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Witnesses at the scene said the man jumped over the railing into the Yellowstone River, and then went down over the 308 foot high Lower Falls.
A search of the river was begun immediately, using both observers on the ground and the park helicopter. The search and recovery effort continued Wednesday.
The Utah man is missing and presumed dead. His name is being withheld pending notification of family members. The incident remains under investigation.
The latest stream flow reading upstream of the falls at the outlet of Yellowstone Lake recorded over 44,500 gallons of water per second flowing into the Yellowstone River.
- www.nps.gov/yell -
Producers/Editors note:
Stock, publication quality images of the Lower Falls which are in the public domain are available online at http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/slidefile/water/falls/yellrdbelowlake/Page.htm
A map of the Canyon area is available at: http://mms.nps.gov/yell/features/canyontour/map.htm
