A Salt Lake City woman who served as an assistant director with the Utah Division of Water Quality died at the Grand Canyon on Monday after falling near a campsite along the Colorado River.
The National Park Service identified her Tuesday as 34-year-old Margaret Osswald. The water quality division confirmed that Osswald, who went by Meg, was recently appointed as an assistant director.
“We are deeply saddened by this loss, and our thoughts and support go out to her loved ones at this difficult time,” the division said in a statement.
Osswald fell about 20 feet, according to the park service. Someone called park officials at about 6:30 p.m. Monday to report that Osswald was unresponsive near the Ledges Camp, a site made up of stair-stepping slabs of ruddy rock at river mile 152.
It was dark at the time, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety deployed a helicopter to the site, where a responding crew pronounced Osswald dead at around 8:30 p.m. Campers tried CPR before the crew members arrived, according to a news release.
Osswald had hiked into the canyon for a river trip at Phantom Ranch, a popular lodge at the bottom of the canyon. She died on the sixth day of a “multi-day” boat trip, officials said.
According to the Utah State Bar, Osswald was a University of Utah law graduate. She was admitted to the bar in 2016.
The park service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner continue to investigate Osswald’s death. They declined to release any additional information.
