A 21-year-old hiker died after an accident on a local trail at a national park, officials report.
Richard Jacobson had attempted to hike up the Flatiron Peak mountain at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona with a friend. He fell from the mountain on Monday while taking a selfie.
“Mr. Jacobson went to go take a photograph with himself and the city skyline in the background, and he lost his footing, and he slipped, and he fell,” Sgt. Doug Peoble with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office told KPHO-TV.
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The sheriff’s office was alerted to the accident around 12:45 a.m. on Monday after Jacobson’s friend called saying the young man had fallen off the mountain.
The young man died after falling 700 feet below the campsite, and his body was recovered, Peoble said. His friend was airlifted from the mountain by first responders, reports Fox10 Phoenix.
“As you can imagine, he was very distraught. He was torn up pretty bad emotionally. We were able to get a helicopter to him,” Sgt. Peoble told Fox10 Phoenix.
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Hiker deaths are rare but often tragic. In December, California investigators determined that a couple died from heat and dehydration while attempting to save their daughter in August.
