Authorities launched an investigation into the death of a California woman who fell 140 feet off of a hiking trail in Sedona, Arizona, on Wednesday.
According to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, 40-year-old Zaynab Joseph was hiking with her husband and 1-year-old child on the Bear Mountain Trail when she fell.
The sheriff's office said in a statement a group of hikers heard yelling and discovered that Joseph was seriously injured. One of them called 911 while another hiked down the embankment and discovered that Joseph was still breathing, but she died shortly after.
The Sedona Fire Department was the first to respond to the scene and confirmed that Joseph had died. Then, her husband and child were flown off the mountain while a search and rescue team recovered her body.
The sheriff's office released little information about Joseph other than her name and age. They added that her family is from California and they were renting an Airbnb in Sedona.
According to Joseph's Linked-In profile, she was an educational instructor and previously, a high school teacher in Garden Grove, California. She attended the University of Toledo.
The trail along Bear Mountain, located in Coconino National Forest, is described by its website as a 4.6-mile hike that ascends 1,800 feet in elevation. The Forest Service labels it as a "strenuous" hike.
The sheriff's office said that while investigators interviewed multiple hikers coming off the mountain, the incident is still under investigation, and are asking for anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident to contact its office at 928-771-3260.
