California Hiker Falls and Dies in Grand Teton National Park
Written by Jessi Entel on August 14, 2023
In the early morning hours of Friday, August 11, Park rangers responded to a report of a hiker who fell off of the west side of the Teewinot Mountain in Grand Teton National Park.
When Rangers arrived, they found Joy Cho of Simi Valley, California who had succumbed to significant injuries from the fall. Cho was pronounced dead at the scene.
Cho’s body was short-hauled from Teewinot scene and turned over to the Teton County Coroner’s Office.
Short-haul is a rescue technique where an individual or gear is suspended below a helicopter using a 150 to 250 foot long rope. This method is commonly used to allow rescuers more direct access to someone who is injured. It is ofter used in the Teton Range due to the conditions of the terrain that makes it difficult for a helicopter to land because of the steep, rocky landscape.
The seven hikers that were with Cho were flown to the Jenny Lake Search and Rescue Cache at the Lupine Meadows. From there, they were transported back to their vehicles at the trailhead.
National Park Service officials did not say how old Cho was, what caused her to fall or how far she fell.
