Hiker, 80, dies after fall near Sundial Peak

07/02/2024 03:34 PM

For 80-year-old Muhammad Abdullah, the hike to Lake Blanche wasn't far enough.

Upon reaching the picturesque lake, which requires 3.5 miles of mostly uphill hiking out of Big Cottonwood Canyon, he continued on toward Sundial Peak. He was on the Sundial Trail on Sunday — what AllTrails.com describes as a "challenging" 10-mile round-trip hike — when he fell to his death.

The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Department estimates Abdullah fell more than 200 feet off the trail. He had set out for the hike at 6 a.m. Sunday and was reported missing by his wife at 10 p.m., according to a news release. The agency called him "an experienced hiker."

A Department of Public Safety helicopter was dispatched around 9:30 a.m. Monday and Abdullah's body was recovered by Search and Rescue personnel at 11 a.m.

"This is a heartbreaking tragedy," Sheriff Rosie Rivera said in a news release, "and our hearts go out to Mr. Abdullah's family during this difficult time."

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