What happened to Zoe McKinney? 17-year-old Moab Utah teen falls 30 feet to her death

On Friday, February 10, 17-year-old Utah teen Zoe McKinney died after falling 30 feet from a cliff in Kane Creek Canyon along the Moab Rim Trail.

According to The Independent, the incident occurred at approximately 4:10 pm on Friday, when Zoe McKinney was hiking along the Moab Rim Trail with her friends. Accoring to the Moab City Police Department, while the teens were hiking, McKinney slipped and fell, leaving her severely injured.

Fox reported that right after McKinney fell, her friends called 911, before trying to figure out a way to get to the 17-year-old. However, police stated that there was no viable route for the teenagers to use, and that first responders had to rappel down in order to reach her. By the time they got to McKinney, however, the teen had succumbed to her injuries and died.

As per KUTV, Moab assistant police chief Lex Bell said that Zoe McKinney's death has left the city in mourning. She was reportedly a popular member of the city's small community.

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A community responds to the tragic death of Zoe McKinney

According to Lex Bell, Zoe McKinney was a senior and a cheerleader at the Grand County High School, where she was supposed to receive an award on the day she died.

In an official statement, a school district spokesperson said:

“Zoe was a remarkable student and we will honour her memory throughout the remainder of this senior year."

The statement continued:

“The school community is grieving with Zoe’s family and will provide love and support in any way we can, including having therapists available at school on Monday.”

In a statement made on behalf of the Moab Police Department, Police Chief Jared Garcia said:

"We recognize the devastating impact the loss of a beloved young woman and friend has in this small community, but know that wonderful people of Moab will band together to support and comfort her family and friends at this time."

McKinney's friend, Iryss, told Fox News that the victim was a good-natured student who wanted to become an EMT in the future.

She said:

"She was working on getting her EMT license, because that’s all she wanted to do was help people."

Llyod Gist, Zoe McKinney's boyfriend of 12 months, told NBC she would be sorely missed.

Gist said:

“She had the brightest smile. She was just the sweetest — if anyone asked her to do anything she would be jumping on it instantly.”

He continued:

"She complimented me on my beanie, and then the next day in class we started talking. Then we started hanging out almost every day. She showed me around town and introduced me to her friends, who became my friends."

Gist told NBC that he and McKinney had planned to move in together after they completed high school.