Tragedies can happen to anyone because life is unpredictable, and sadly, this is one of those times.
Zoe McKinney, a 17-year-old high school senior and cheerleader, was hiking with her friends. On the Moab Rim Trail, she lost her balance and fell about 30 feet.
According to the Moab City Police Department, McKinney fell off a very steep cliff, leaving her friends in a difficult situation.
They tried to reach her, but it was too dangerous. The police were informed immediately, and search and rescue teams, along with fire and EMS, worked tirelessly to get to the area above McKinney.
Sadly, McKinney died from the fall and was not even declared dead at the hospital because she had already passed away at the scene. It took the search and rescue team two hours to recover her body.
Lloyd Gist, McKinney’s boyfriend and fellow senior, wasn’t with her at the time of the accident because he was in Salt Lake City with his family.
He told NBC News that they were very close and couldn’t imagine life without each other. He remembered her as a kind and helpful person, always ready to assist others. They had been together for almost a year.
According to Iryss Mason, a close friend, McKinney had a strong desire to help others. Mason told FOX affiliate KSTU that McKinney was working on getting her EMT license.
After McKinney’s death, the Grand City School District released a statement expressing their condolences to her family and promising to support them in any way they could.
The school announced that therapists would be available on Monday to help students who are grieving. The district remembered McKinney as a wonderful student and pledged to honor her memory for the rest of her senior year.
A GoFundMe campaign was started to help McKinney’s family with funeral expenses, raising $20,838 by the end.
Watch the video below to learn more about this tragic event and how McKinney’s family and friends are remembering her.
