Woman falls to death in Rocky Mountain National Park, marking park's 4th fatality in 2023

Sarah Kyle, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·3 min read

Editor's note: The Boulder County Coroner's Office identified the woman who died as Jadyn Weiss. Weiss' cause and manner of death were not released and are pending further investigation, the coroner's office said in a post on Aug. 15, 2023.

A woman from Severance died after falling about 300 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park this weekend, the park announced Sunday.

Park officials say the 21-year-old woman, who has not been publicly identified by the park, and a 25-year-old man from San Angelo, Texas, fell while descending in the Flying Dutchman couloir above Chasm Lake between Longs Peak and Mount Meeker Saturday. The man was critically injured in the fall.

Bystanders called park rangers, activated a personal locater beacon and cared for the man until emergency responders arrived, the park said in a news release. He received medical care from rangers, a park paramedic and a paramedic with Estes Park Health on scene but was ultimately taken to UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies.

The man was extricated from the area by a Colorado Air National Guard helicopter from Buckley Air Force Base with assistance from Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, and then flown to the hospital in a Flight for Life air ambulance Saturday night. The rescue operation included 31 people, according to the park.

Park officials recovered the woman's body Monday morning after weather impacted recovery operations Sunday, the park said. A helicopter and helitack crew from Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control assisted in recovery efforts.

The woman's body was taken to the Boulder County Coroner's Office. Her death remains under investigation, which the park noted is standard protocol.

Her death is the fourth fatality in Rocky Mountain National Park this year.

Here is previous reporting on the other three deaths:

Man rescued after fall on Keyhole Route on Longs Peak

Before Saturday's rescue operation, rangers and other emergency responders rescued a man who fell above the Ledges on the Keyhole Route on Longs Peak, the park said in its news release.

Park officials say the 64-year-old man from College Station, Texas, had taken a tumbling fall of about 60 feet. Similar to Saturday's rescue operation, a bystander aided the man and provided critical care while they waited for park rangers to arrive, the park said.

After receiving medical care from Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue, the man was extricated from the area by a Colorado Air National Guard Helicopter from Buckley Air Force Base and then flown to UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies via a Flight for Life air ambulance, according to the news release.

Snow lingered on the Keyhole Route about a month longer than usual this year, with the park warning those who weren't experienced mountaineers to stay away from the area until earlier this month.

More than 70 people have died trying to summit Longs Peak since Rocky Mountain National Park opened in 1915, according to previous Coloradoan reporting.

More: Rocky Mountain National Park's Longs Peak Keyhole Route finally free of snow

Safety advice for attempting to summit Longs Peak

  • Depending on your route, packing traction devices such as Microspikes, Yaktrax or crampons and an ice axe may be prudent.

  • Pack extra warm clothes, waterproof layers, extra food and water, a headlamp, a personal first-aid kit and a cellphone.

  • If you are traveling alone, explain to a friend or family member detailed plans of your trip and take extra care with decision making.

  • Be smart and turn around when conditions exceed your abilities.

  • Visit the Longs Peak conditions report at nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/longs_peak_conditions_report.htm.

Coloradoan reporter Miles Blumhardt contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Woman dies in fall above Chasm Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park