Woman’s Fall At Royal Gorge Fatal: Missing Accident Victim Who Fell To Death ID’d
Police in Colorado issued an update on a woman’s fall at Royal Gorge. Investigators identified the fall victim as Denise McLean. The park visitor went missing on Monday and her body was found the next day, this according to an eCanadaNow report.
The Fremont County Coroner’s Office conducted the autopsy on McLean, 44, a resident of Wylie, Texas. Officials ruled the woman’s death from the fall accidental. On June 29, Canon City Police Department officers were called to the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park regarding a person who went missing. Apparently, McLean was last seen near a platform “just northeast of a landmark bridge” near the parking lot reserved for visitors.
Texas woman who fell 400 feet to death at Royal Gorge ID’d http://t.co/tIbN2YDDDo #KSATnews pic.twitter.com/9xvJBbS90w
— KSAT 12 (@ksatnews) July 3, 2015
44 yr old Denise McLean from Wylie died Monday after falling off a rock at the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado: pic.twitter.com/22gNpwQ05V
— Calvert Collins (@CalvertFOX4) July 3, 2015
Friends and family plan to celebrate her life this weekend and take solace knowing she died doing what she loved. pic.twitter.com/PIqW8mij3P
— Calvert Collins (@CalvertFOX4) July 3, 2015
A search party tried desperately to find the woman, but they suspended efforts when nightfall set in. The next day, when search efforts resumed, they found the woman’s dead body. She suffered a fall, some 400 feet below at Royal Gorge. Investigators couldn’t rule out foul play at the time. However, after an exhaustive investigation, her death is ruled accidental. The coroner believes McLean slipped and fell as she was standing on or near some rocks at the time.
The Gorge is home to the largest suspension bridge in America. Visitors flock to the area to enjoy its rides, attractions, and breathtaking views, according to its official website.
“One of the deepest gorges in Colorado, the Royal Gorge is approximately 10 miles long with the Arkansas River running through it with granite walls towering over 1,000 feet. The gorge was created some three million years ago when a trickle of water first began to slowly carve a canyon out of the solid granite bedrock. That trickle is now the raging Arkansas, one of America’s longest rivers. The Arkansas river continues to carve its’ depth at a rate of about a foot every 2,500 years.”
The woman’s fall at Royal Gorge is tragic on many levels. However, her family and friends are celebrating her amazing life this Fourth of July 2015 weekend. While she is no longer among the living, those who know her say she passed away doing what she loved: being in the splendor of nature.
[Photo: Twitter]
