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Date: April 28, 2010
Contact: Ron Terry, 435-772-0160

The two men whose bodies were located in Zion National Park on Monday, April 26, 2010 have been identified and family members notified.  The two victims were Daniel Chidester, 23, and Jesse Scaffidi, 23, both from Las Vegas, Nevada. 

They were the same men who had been reported as overdue from an attempted raft trip through the Zion Narrows in high and cold water conditions.  The National Park Service launched a search on Sunday, April 25, when the report was received.  The first body was found in the North Fork of the Virgin River near the Gateway to the Narrows on Monday morning and the second, about two  miles downstream on Monday afternoon.

The National Park Service reminds visitors that all watercraft use in the park requires a backcountry permit. Trips through the Zion Narrows should only be attempted by expert paddlers. Permits and current river conditions can be obtained at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center backcountry desk.  Visitor Center hours are currently 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.