A 20-year-old camp worker is dead after enjoying his day off. He went for a hike at Yosemite National Park, but he sadly passed away due to an undiscosed incident.
20-year-old Matt Mullen had his whole life ahead of him. Like most people, he wanted to unwind on his off day. But unlike my sister, who unwinds watching Friends on the couch, Mullen decided to hit Yosemite National Park. He wanted to enjoy the outdoors with some of his fellow co-workers. Yosemite is a great place to do that with a lot of wonderful sites. It's a tragedy that something happened to the camp cook.
"Matt Mullen, an assistant cook in the Camp Mather kitchen, lost his life on Thursday, Aug. 8, in a tragic accident during a day off with co-workers in Yosemite National Park," a department spokesperson tells PEOPLE. Mullen worked at Camp Mather, a family camp near Hetch Hetchy Valley. It's close to Yosemite National Park.
Yosemite National Park Death
It was Matt's second summer working for the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. According to the spokesperson for the organization, the tragic incident didn't happen while Mullen was at work. Additionally, it didn't happen on camp property either.
Exactly what happened is unclear. Yosemite National Park spokesperson said they are investigation the incident and what occurred. As such, they said, "We are not able to provide any further information at this time."
Following Mullen's passing, his co-workers and campers were understandably upset. As such, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department offered grief counselors to campers. Additionally, they are offering counseling and assistance to his co-workers as well.
It's been a deadly summer at national parks. Mullen's death comes less than a month after a hiker died at Yosemite's Half Dome. A young woman slipped while hiking down the dome with her father. Her shoes slipped due to the rain, causing her to tumble down the side of the mountain. She ended up dying on impact. While nature can be beautiful, it can also be deadly. If you're planning any hikes in your future, stay safe out there.
