Boulder police officer dies while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park

Mitchell Byars, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
·1 min read

Jul. 16—The 35-year-old woman who died after an apparent fall in Rocky Mountain National Park on Thursday has been identified as a Boulder police officer.

The Boulder Police Department in a release Friday morning said the hiker was identified as Officer Ashley Haarmann, 35. Haarmann had worked for the Boulder Police Department for approximately one and half years, according to the release.

"Our department is again mourning the loss of a friend, coworker and dedicated public servant," Boulder police Chief Maris Herold said in a statement. "Ashley was doing something she loved yesterday, and though it's not much, I hope we can take some solace in that."

According to a release from the Rocky Mountain National Park, rangers were notified by one of Haarmann's family members that they had received information via a satellite communication device of an emergency just west of Martha's Couloir on Mount Lady Washington.

Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team members arrived on scene at 4:45 p.m. Thursday and were aided with aerial search efforts by Mesa Verde Interagency Helitak crew, assigned to the Morgan Creek Fire near Steamboat Springs.

Officials said it appears Haarmann fell about 200 feet.

Her body was flown at approximately 8:15 p.m. Thursday via a long line operation to the Upper Beaver Meadows helipad where she was transferred to the Boulder County Coroner's office.

According to the release, Herold sent members of the police department's command staff to the park to make sure Haarmann's body was covered with the American flag until her body was flown to the coroner's office.