Life is full of surprises, and even the most worthy individuals can experience tragedies. Sadly, this is one of those occasions. Zoe McKinney, a 17-year-old cheerleader and senior in high school, went trekking with her pals. McKinney fell around thirty feet after losing her balance on the Moab Rim Trail.
According to the Moab City Police Department, McKinney and her companions were in danger after she went from an extremely steep cliff.
They made a lot of effort to reach her, but it was unsafe. After informing the police immediately, search and rescue teams, fire department, and emergency medical services worked round the clock to reach the region above McKinney.
Regretfully, McKinney passed away during the fall and wasn’t even declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. It took two hours for Search and Rescue to locate her corpse.
McKinney’s senior lover Lloyd Gist was living with his family in Salt Lake City and was not present with her when she passed away.
He said to NBC News that they were inseparable and that they couldn’t survive apart. He cherished his recollections of her as a generous and giving individual who was ever willing to provide a hand. They had been dating for about a year.
McKinney’s close friend Iryss Mason said that he had a great passion to serve people. Mason stated that McKinney was pursuing her EMT credentials in an interview with FOX station KSTU.
A statement was released by the Grand City School District following McKinney’s passing. The district expressed its condolences to the family for their loss and pledged to assist them in every manner possible.
The school said that on Monday, therapists will be available to assist children who are experiencing grief. The school system vowed to preserve McKinney’s memory for the remainder of her senior year and recalled her as an excellent student.
A GoFundMe page was created to assist McKinney’s family with the cost of the funeral. Before it ended, $20,838 had been raised for the cause.
To find out more about this horrific incident and how McKinney’s friends and family are remembering her, watch the video below.