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Date: September 28, 2009

On Saturday, September 26, National Park Service (NPS) dispatch at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area received a call that a hiker in the Escalante arm of Lake Powell had fallen from a cliff to the water below.

Two NPS Rangers responded by boat from Dangling Rope Marina. They contacted the party who had made the call, and conducted a quick search of the location where the victim fell. NPS Rangers located the deceased victim in the Escalante River approximately 2 miles upstream from the mouth of Explorer Canyon.

Initial investigation revealed that Robert Hunt, a 49-year-old male from St. Peters, Missouri was day-hiking with a friend. As he attempted to cross a talus slope at the edge of a cliff, Mr. Hunt fell, landing in the shallow water and mud 70 feet below. He sustained a traumatic head injury. Talus slopes, or areas of loose rock on steep terrain, are extremely hazardous for hikers. Mr. Hunt had been visiting the area with four friends and had gone on several day hikes during his trip.