Dad my shoes are slippery, says girl, falls 200 feet to death in California
A 20-year-old Arizona State University student hiking in California’s Yosemite National Park with her father fell to her death. Just before the accident, Grace told her father, “Dad, my shoes are slippery.” She slipped and fell 200 feet down the Half Dome cliff during a sudden rainstorm.
Grace Rohloff and Jonathan Rohloff, both experienced hikers, slowed down to help other climbers and were caught in a sudden rainstorm on July 11, making their trek much more dangerous.
Jonathan watched in horror as Grace fell down the steep rock face near the end of their climb.
The father attempted to reach Grace immediately but was unable to navigate the difficult terrain.
He called out to her, “Grace, I’m here. I’m not going to leave you. If you can hear my voice, give me a sign. I love you.”
After the incident, the father called 911 to help rescue his daughter. It took rescue teams three hours to reach Grace, who had suffered severe head injuries, according to The Daily Mail.
UNEXPECTED STORM COMPLICATES DOWNHILL TREK
Grace and Jonathan had eagerly anticipated completing the Half Dome hike, which allows only 300 hikers per day. Although they were warned about a storm, the weather seemed clear as they ascended. However, the storm intensified as they began their descent.
Jonathan recalled, “A black cloud was rolling in like gangbusters. We have got to get down now, because we don’t want to be up here with any rain. It rolled in literally out of nowhere.”
As they descended, Grace’s new hiking boots began to slip. Jonathan watched helplessly as she fell and rushed to reach her.
Park ranger Shawna Daly stayed with Jonathan through the storm until a rescue helicopter could retrieve Grace.
The coroner later informed Jonathan that Grace likely died during the fall.
Jonathan hopes park rangers can recover Grace’s backpack, which contains the last photos from their trip, reported the Daily Mail.
Since 2006, at least six people, including Grace, have died after rainstorms made Half Dome’s surface slippery. Jonathan urges park officials to improve safety measures, such as adding a second set of cables and wooden planks for better footing. He has vowed never to hike this “unnecessarily dangerous” route again but hopes changes will prevent future tragedies.
