A 40-year-old California mother died tragically Monday while hiking with her husband and one-year-old child on Bear Mountain Trail, in Sedona, Arizona.
Zaynab Joseph couldn’t be saved after she fell 140 feet down a cliff and began yelling in pain from mortal wounds, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said.
A group of hikers called 911 after spotting the victim with one managing to go down and reach her. At the time, Joseph was still breathing.
The Sheriff’s office said that Joseph passed away shortly later and her body was recovered. Her husband and child were flown off the mountain.
Joseph’s family has been renting an Airbnb in Sedona, the sheriff’s office said adding that the hikers who found her were interviewed amid an ongoing investigation.
The Bear Mountain Trail is listed as difficult on the AllTrails hiking app with about 2,000 feet of elevation in just around 2 miles to the peak.
“It’s a rugged trail. Some sections are on pure rock at an almost vertical drop. Wear shoes with good traction!” the website advises.
