Tragedy struck the Sedona wilderness Monday, claiming the life of a woman who was enjoying an outing with her family.
A California woman is dead after falling over a cliff in Arizona during a hike with her husband and baby, and authorities said the cause of her fall is still under investigation.
A group of hikers heard yelling and discovered a "seriously injured" woman on Bear Mountain in Sedona on Monday morning and called 911, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Wednesday. The woman had fallen down a 140-foot cliff.
While waiting for first responders, one group member hiked down the embankment and found the woman, later identified as 40-year-old Zaynab Joseph, still breathing, "but unfortunately, she passed away shortly after," the sheriff's office said.
The Sedona Fire Department arrived to the scene first, and confirmed Joseph was deceased. Search and rescue teams from the sheriff's office and a helicopter crew from the Arizona Department of Public Safety responded to assist, and Joseph's husband and 1-year-old child were flown off the mountain. Joseph's body was recovered by a DPS ranger and search and rescue volunteers.
According to the sheriff's office, the family was visiting from California and had rented an Airbnb in Sedona. Deputies at the scene on Monday also questioned hikers coming off the mountain.
On Wednesday, the sheriff's office said the cause of Joseph's fall is still under investigation. Witnesses or anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the sheriff's office at 928-771-3260.
--with reporting by TMX
