Bryce Canyon park ranger dies after tripping, falling while on-duty

Trevor Myers
·2 min read
2

GARFIELD COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A park ranger at Bryce Canyon National Park died from his injuries after tripping and falling while on-duty, according to the National Park Service.

Tom Lorig, 78, was working during Bryce Canyon’s annual Astronomy Festival on the night of June 7. According to the National Park Service, Lorig was directing a visitor to a shuttle bus around 11:30 p.m. when he fell and “struck his head on a large rock.”

READ NEXT: Young child rescued, taken to the hospital after being swept into Provo River

The visitor informed a nearby law enforcement ranger after finding Lorig unresponsive, NPS said.

“National park rangers, medically-trained bystanders, and local EMS personnel cooperated to provide initial life-saving care, but were unsuccessful in reviving Ranger Lorig,” the NPS said in a press release.

Park Superintendent Jim Ireland said Lorig served as an interpretive park ranger who worked to facilitate connections between “the world and these special places that he loved.”

Bryce Canyon National Park Ranger Tom Lorig died while on-duty. According to the National Park Service, the 78-year-old ranger was directing a visitor to a shuttle bus around 11:30 p.m. when he fell and "struck his head on a large rock." (Courtesy: Bryce Canyon National Park)
Bryce Canyon National Park Ranger Tom Lorig died while on-duty. According to the National Park Service, the 78-year-old ranger was directing a visitor to a shuttle bus around 11:30 p.m. when he fell and “struck his head on a large rock.” (Courtesy: Bryce Canyon National Park)

Ireland continued, “As our community processes and grieves this terrible loss, we extend our deepest condolences to all of Ranger Lorig’s family and friends.”

According to the National Park Service, Lorig served as a registered nurse in the Seattle area for 40 years, and had been a park ranger — in the permanent, seasonal and volunteer capacities — for more than a decade.

Lorig first began working with the National Park Service in June 1968 at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. Since then, he worked in 14 more national parks, including several in Utah.

“We also want to express gratitude to the National Park Service and Garfield County emergency services staff who responded as well as to the bystanders who assisted NPS first responders,” Ireland said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.