Tragedy struck this week on Bear Mountain in Sedona, Arizona, as a woman lost her life in a hiking accident. Zaynab Joseph, 40, fell to her death from a 140-foot cliff while hiking with her husband and young child.
The unfortunate incident occurred on Monday when a group of hikers came across Joseph during their trek. Despite their efforts to help, Joseph had already fallen down the cliff and sustained serious injuries.
Emergency services were alerted, and although one hiker confirmed that Joseph was still breathing, she tragically passed away before help could arrive. The Sedona Fire officials pronounced her dead at the scene.
Following the incident, search and rescue teams, along with the state's Department of Public Safety, worked together to recover Joseph's body from the cliff.
Joseph was hiking on Bear Mountain with her husband and 1-year-old child, the sheriff's office said. The three had traveled from their home in California to Sedona, where they were renting an Airbnb. Her husband and child were airlifted from the mountain as authorities worked to recovery the body. The sheriff did not say anyone else was hurt.
The circumstances around Joseph's death and exactly what caused it are under investigation. Officers conducted interviews with hikers leaving Bear Mountain in the wake of Joseph's death and asked anyone else who may have witnessed the incident to contact the sheriff.
Around 3 million tourists flock to Sedona every year, according to the Sedona Chamber of Commerce. Many are drawn to the area's scenic outdoor activities, as Sedona is surrounded by pine forests and trails along its outskirts wind through enormous red rock buttes and canyons. The hike to the top of Bear Mountain is considered strenuous, as it is "mostly unshaded, steep, and difficult in places," the U.S. Forest Services writes in a description of that trail and another than takes participants on a longer journey through the surrounding canyon.
Ascending Bear Mountain involves a trek of just under 2.5 miles, with an elevation gain of over 1,800 feet. Hikers must negotiate rugged switchbacks, narrow side canyons, and other demanding terrain. The alternative route through the entire canyon features a 2,100-foot elevation change, predominantly over steeply tilted rock, according to the Forest Service.
It remains unclear which trail Joseph and her family were traversing. CBS News reached out to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office for clarification but has not yet received a response.
