NextSharkNextShark.com

Indian American hiker found dead days after she was swept away in a flash flood in Utah

Indian American hiker found dead days after she was swept away in a flash flood in Utah

Jetal Agnihotri, a 29-year-old Indian American hiker from Tucson, Arizona, went missing during a flash flood at Zion National Park in Utah on Aug. 19.

August 25, 2022
SHARE
An Indian American hiker who went missing during a flash flood at Zion National Park in Utah last week was found dead.
The body of Jetal Agnihotri, a 29-year-old woman from Tucson, Arizona, was recovered in the Virgin River near the Court of the Patriarchs at the park on Tuesday, according to Zion National Park Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh.
Agnihotri was a graduate student at the University of Arizona. She was reportedly spending the last few days of her summer break with a group of hikers when they were swept downstream by floodwaters in the Narrows area of the park on Aug. 19. 
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

The National Weather Service and Washington county had reportedly issued flood warnings that day. The floodwaters had increased the amount flowing through the Virgin River by up to 8,229 gallons when Agnihotri was swept away, according to The National Park Service.
More than 170 emergency responders embarked on a search mission. Park rangers were able to locate all of the hikers except for Agnihotri, who reportedly did not know how to swim, according to her brother. 
“Our deepest sympathy goes out to the friends and family of Jetal Agnihotri,” Bradybaugh wrote in a statement.
Zion National Park, which is a popular recreation area in the U.S., is frequently hazardous due to flash floods. The flooding routinely traps hikers in the park’s hundreds of feet deep slot canyons despite warnings. 
 
Featured Image via The Weather Channel
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Michelle De Pacina

      Michelle De Pacina is a New York-based Reporter for NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.