A horrific father could only watch as his daughter, an Arizona college student, plunged more than 200 feet to her death. The father and daughter had been hiking at Yosemite National Park on July 13 when the tragedy occurred.
The two participated in a 16-mile round-trip hike to the park's large rock formation, Half Dome. To get to the top, you have to ascend more than 400 feet using cables on the trail. The duo made it to the top with ease and enjoyed the sights. However, they realized that a storm cloud was approaching.
"A black cloud was rolling in like gangbusters," Jonathan Rohloff said via New York Post. "I was like, 'We have got to get down now because we don't want to be up here with any rain. It rolled in literally out of nowhere.'"
His daughter Grace purchased new hiking shoes for the hike at the park. However, on the way down, she realized that the shoes didn't have great traction. With the rain pouring, she started to lose her grip on the ground. The trail became slippery.
"Dad, my shoes are so slippery," Jonathan Rohloff recalled his daughter saying. The father-daughter duo ended up going slower down the mountain due to inexperienced hikers in front of them. Deciding not to pass, Jonathan urged his daughter to take it "one step at a time." Unfortunately, Grace's shoes went out from under her.
Father Recalls Moment Of Terror
"She just slid off to the side, right by me, down the mountain," Rohloff told the outlet. "It happened so fast. I tried to reach my hand up, but she was already gone." She ended up plunging 200 to 300 feet. She likely hit her head on the way down. Her father couldn't reach her due to how steep the mountain was. He yelled for another hiker to call for help.
Jonathan hoped that his daughter somehow was still alive. He shouted, "I'm here. I'm not going to leave you. If you can hear my voice, give me a sign. I love you." He also prayed along with other hikers.
"It was one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen," Erin McGlynn, who was hiking, said. "It was also one of the bravest things I've ever seen. He was able to compose himself, just in case he could provide any comfort to her. He did everything he possibly could have."
Unfortunately, Grace died during the fall. A coroner's office confirmed she died from a head fracture.
"If she was gone, that she didn't have to suffer," her father said.
