A 19-year-old hiker who tragically drowned in a Utah waterfall and accidentally filmed her own death has been identified.
Cynthia Ann Grimwood of Springville went hiking with her dog around 3 pm Friday afternoon at Horsetail Falls in Alpine, and was swept away by the swift current after falling into the swollen river.
A small dog and her cellphone were found by two hikers who captured the teen walking toward the water before she disappeared, Utah County Sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Cannon said KSL.com.
The water level was “abnormally high” that day and authorities described the young woman’s death as a “tragic accident.”
Cynthia’s body was located on Friday night two hours after the tragedy. Several search and rescue teams participated in locating the teenager’s remains. Her body was recovered on Saturday before her identity was confirmed on Monday.
Cynthia Ann Grimwood, 19, of Springville, Utah, went hiking with her dog around 3 p.m. Friday afternoon at Horsetail Falls in Alpine and was swept away by the swift current.
A photo of Cynthia holding a daisy.
Authorities said the creek had swollen with runoff water near Horsetail Falls in the mountains above Alpine in Utah County during Cynthia’s fateful hike. Horsetail Falls is approximately 35 miles south of Salt Lake City.
The two hikers, who found Cynthia’s belongings and dog, were worried that someone had fallen into the water of Dry Creek and might be in trouble and called the sheriff’s office.
They once watched the video on the teen’s cellphone, which showed her near the water before she was swept away by the strong flow of water, authorities said in a statement.
The Utah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (SAR) responded to the area, along with firefighters from several different agencies in northern Utah County that specialize in water rescue missions.
A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter also assisted in the search.
Authorities said the water level was “abnormally high” that day and called the young woman’s death a “tragic accident.”
Cynthia’s body was recovered about 100 meters below Horsetail Falls trapped under some trees submerged in water.
His body was recovered about 100 meters below Horsetail Falls, trapped under some trees and submerged in the water.
‘The area where the victim was trapped in the water was filled with heavy snowmelt runoff and conditions were dangerous. “The steep rock walls surrounding the area make access very difficult,” officials said.
Search and rescue teams delayed recovering Cynthia’s body until the early hours of Saturday, as recovering it sooner posed a great risk.
Volunteers then participating in the search and rescue remained at the scene overnight to observe the body until it could be transported to the medical examiner’s office.
Cynthia is pictured here with a friend or family member.
An autopsy has not yet determined the cause of death.
The blue-eyed, brown-haired teen was a talented athlete who had played second base, third base and shortstop on the Springville High School softball team.
The crews expressed their condolences to the young woman’s family.
