College Student Dies After Falling from Half Dome’s Cable Section

A father-daughter hike in Yosemite National Park turned tragic when 20-year-old Grace Rohloff fell to her death on Half Dome on July 13.

Grace, an Arizona college student, was descending the famous cables with her father, Jonathan Rohloff, when she slipped and fell. The 14- to 16-mile round-trip hike to Half Dome is known for its difficulty and requires hikers to obtain permits in advance.

The duo had reached the summit and were descending when a sudden storm approached. “A black cloud was rolling in like gangbusters,” Jonathan said to SFGate. They began their descent quickly to avoid the impending rain, but Grace slipped on a slick section of rock.

“She was between the wooden blocks and slipped to the ground, and it just happened very fast,” Jonathan recounted. “She slid down the side of the mountain.”

The ascent up the cables is the most famous part of the hike, allowing climbers to ascend the final 400 feet to the summit without rock climbing equipment. The National Park Service advises hikers to avoid climbing if there are storm clouds in the area and the ground is wet.

Despite clear skies at the start of their hike, the storm quickly developed, and about three-quarters of the way down the cables, Grace lost her footing. “It happened so fast,” Jonathan said. “I tried to reach my hand up, but she was already gone.”

Rescue workers took three hours to arrive with a helicopter, during which Jonathan and a park ranger endured harsh winds, rain, and hail. Grace sustained a severe head fracture and likely died during the fall, a coroner informed her father.

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