Utah Hiker, 19, Identified After Inadvertently Filming Her Own Death By Drowning: A 19-year-old hiker who tragically drowned at a Utah waterfall, inadvertently filming her own death, has been identified as Cynthia Ann Grimwood of Springville. Cynthia went hiking with her dog around 3 pm on Friday afternoon at Horsetail Falls in Alpine. She was swept away by the fast-moving current after falling into the swollen river.
Two hikers discovered a small dog and her cell phone, which had captured Cynthia walking into the water before she disappeared. Utah County Sheriff Sgt. Spencer Cannon stated that the water level was “abnormally high” that day, calling Cynthia’s death a “tragic accident.” Cynthia’s body was located on Friday night, two hours after the incident. Multiple search and rescue crews participated in the effort to find her remains. On Saturday, her body was recovered, and her identity was confirmed on Monday.
Officials noted that the stream near Horsetail Falls was swollen with runoff water during Cynthia’s hike. Horsetail Falls is approximately 35 miles south of Salt Lake City. The two hikers who found Cynthia’s belongings and dog became concerned that someone may have fallen into the water of Dry Creek and called the sheriff’s office. Upon viewing the video on Cynthia’s cell phone, showing her near the water before being carried away by the heavy flow, officials were able to piece together the events.
The Utah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (SAR) responded to the area, along with firefighters from several different agencies in northern Utah County, specializing in water rescue missions. A helicopter from the Utah Department of Public Safety also assisted in the search and recovery operation.
