Identities released of 2 people who fell off cliff, died in Bryce Canyon

Update 4/30:

BRYCE CANYON CITY, Utah (ABC4) — Officials have identified the two people who died after falling off a cliff in Bryce Canyon National Park earlier this week.

Matthew Nannen, 45, and Bailee Crane, 58, were identified as the deceased individuals. Officials with the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said the pair died “late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.”

The pair reportedly climbed over a railing at Inspiration Point in Bryce Canyon and fell roughly 380 feet.

“Detectives are considering all possibilities, but preliminary investigations have not been able to definitively determine the cause of the fall,” the sheriff’s office said in a Wednesday press release.

Both Nannen and Crane were last known to be permanent residents of Florida, but had “traveled to Utah after spending a significant amount of time in Arizona,” officials said.

“It appears they were living out of a U-Haul just prior to their deaths,” the sheriff’s office said.

Tourists discovered their bodies on Tuesday and notified park rangers, who later reached out to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. Several agencies responded to the scene.

Anyone with information about the incident has been asked to contact Garfield County Sheriff’s Detectives at 435-676-1126.

Original story: Two dead after falling from a cliff face in Bryce Canyon

BRYCE CANYON CITY, Utah (ABC4) — Two are dead after falling from a cliff face yesterday in Bryce Canyon as local first responders are in the process of recovering their bodies.

According to the Garfield County Sheriff, two hikers were hiking a section of Bryce Canyon known as Inspiration Point sometime yesterday night or this morning. At some point, the hikers crossed over a guard railing and began to hike off the trail.

Although it is currently unclear what led to it, the hikers fell from the cliff face, falling 380 feet to the floor of the canyon. The Sheriff’s office reported that conditions had been storming that day, and snow is present currently at the point. The bodies of both hikers, who were said to be a man and a woman, were found the next day by tourists.

After their discovery, the tourists called the park service, who then called the Sheriff.

The Sheriff reported to ABC4.com that both hikers were last known to be residents of Florida and had been living out of a U-Haul that was found near the park.

A recovery effort was launched by the sheriff’s department using units from the Search and Rescue team, along with assistance from a Department of Public Safety helicopter. The body of the woman was recovered around 2:30 p.m. today, and the body of the man was recovered late Tuesday evening.

Currently, the Sheriffs are reporting that they believe the incident was an accident, however,r it is still under investigation. At this time, the Sheriff is attempting to ID both hikers and contact next of kin. At this time, neither identity has been released.

The Sheriff department ask that hikers wanting to recreate that they stay on posted hiking trails, and do not cross rails or boundaries set up for safety.