Flowers line the Moab Rim Trail near Moab, Utah, after a teen girl fell to her death late last week. According to the Bureau of Land Management, the trail leads up to a panoramic view of the Moab Valley in Arches National Park and the "usually snow capped LaSal Mountains.”
Zoe McKinney, 17, was hiking with friends when she slipped and fell 30 feet off a sheer cliff around 4 p.m. on Friday. The cause behind her fall is unknown, but Assistant Police Chief Lex Bell said she was, "too close to the edge." According to a news release from the Moab City Police Department, "Friends called 911 and attempted to find a way to get to the victim, but there was no safe way to do so."
She was found in a 'deep, cliffy' area.
"She was at a technical, deep, cliffy area," Bell said. Police officers, fire department, county search and rescue, EMS, and personnel from the sheriff’s office responded to the scene and used climbing gear and harnesses as they "worked vigorously to climb to the area above the victim." According to police, McKinney was pronounced dead at the scene, from injuries sustained in the fall.
“Know that the wonderful people of Moab will band together to support and comfort her family and friends at this time," said Moab Police Chief Jared Garcia.
McKinney's high school issued a statement on the tragedy.
On Friday, Grand County High School, where McKinney was a senior, issued a statement on its website.
"The school community is grieving with Zoe's family and will provide love and support in any way we can, including having therapists available at school on Monday," the statement reads. "Zoe was a remarkable student and we will honor her memory throughout the remainder of this senior year."
The teen's boyfriend is grieving after the unexpected loss.
McKinney and Lloyd Gist, 18, met her two years ago when he moved to the Moab area.
"She complimented me on my beanie, and then the next day in class we started talking," he said according to NBC News. "Then we started hanging out almost every day. She showed me around town and introduced me to her friends, who became my friends."
He referenced her being an unstoppable force. "She would find a way around people if they told her no," he said. Once they became a couple, she was always cheering for him on the football field. He shared that the cheerleader dreamed of becoming an EMT.
Although small in stature, according to Lloyd, she never let it stop her. "She loved dirt biking. She was small and her feet wouldn't touch the ground, but she could ride a large dirt bike and be perfectly fine on it," he remembered fondly.
The pair had plans to move in together after high school. "We were inseparable," he said. "If you couldn't find me, you called Zoe because I was with her."
The school is raising money to support her family.
"Zoe Strong" T-shirts are available for purchase through the Grand County High School apparel website. The majority of the proceeds will benefit McKinney's family. There are also external fundraising efforts to support her family and funeral expenses.
