A family in Utah is in mourning after a missing young woman was found dead. Nicole Bennett went hiking, allegedly on a trail she’d used before, but despite her being in seemingly familiar territory, she never made it home. Her family reported her missing, beginning a search for her in an area famously difficult to traverse. They discovered her car, but still, the young woman couldn’t be found. Once she was reported missing, the search began immediately, only stopping due to difficult conditions. Sadly, Bennett’s body was found only a short time after the search resumed.
Nicole Bennett was found dead on January 14, 2026, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Utah shared in a news release. At 7:07 a.m., their dispatch center received a call saying someone had found her body.
“This is an active investigation with deputies and investigators currently on scene at the time of this release,” the release read.
Just before noon on January 13, the Washington County Consolidated Communications Center received a call the 19-year-old woman had gone missing, the release shared. Her car was reportedly found at the Red Cliffs Recreation Area trailhead.
The search for Bennett began immediately but was paused at 4:30 a.m. “due to lighting conditions and the extent of the search area.” It was set to resume at 7 a.m. on January 14.
Sergeant Jacob Paul from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office told KXTV the family figured Bennett had gone on a hike. He also shared that a family member was the one to locate the body.
According to Paul, based on the preliminary investigation, it appears that Bennett fell, making her death accidental. “Unfortunately, this area is treacherous, and it can be dangerous at times,” he said.
The sergeant spoke with KUTV, telling them the trail Bennett was hiking on is common for rescues. “She’s known to hike this area, and she’s local,” Paul said of Bennett. “This is one of the more popular hiking areas in the area, so I’d imagine that she’s done it before.”
The medical examiner will determine the teen’s cause of death, according to KUTV.
Hiker Ron Graham told the outlet that Bennett “was looking forward to going on a mission trip to Italy in the near future.” He called her death “tragic.”
“The Washington County Sheriff’s Office expresses our condolences to the family of Nicole Bennett for their loss,” the Washington County Sheriff’s Office shared.
