Hiker loses balance and falls 200 feet to his death at rocky Utah park, officials say

A Texas man was hiking with his family at a Utah park when he lost his footing and plunged 200 feet off a cliff to his death, officials said.

Charles Campassi, a 54-year-old man from Houston, visited Dead Horse Point State Park in Moab, Utah, on Sunday. He and his family were hiking on the West Rim Trail when he lost his balance, Utah State Parks said in a news release.

Dead Horse Point State Park is rocky and trails can be uneven, park officials said on their website. The West Rim is the longest hiking trail, and it is less traveled than the East Rim.

“The group is believed to have been approximately 100 yards off-trail,” parks officials said. “Responders from Utah State Parks, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, and Grand County Sheriff’s Office arrived to assist in the search.”

Officials found Campassi’s body at about 4 p.m. Sunday, and they believed he had fallen about 200 feet off the cliff, according to Utah State Parks.

Park officials said the hiking trails also have slick rock. The park is about 2,000 feet above the gooseneck in the Colorado River, and it has many vertical cliffs that were carved by ice, according to Utah State Parks.

“We would like to remind visitors to always hike within their experience level, stick to established trails whenever possible, and to exercise caution when exploring areas near cliffsides and steep drops,” park officials said in the news release.