(ZION NATIONAL PARK, Utah) — A 37-year-old man fell to his death while hiking at Zion National Park in Utah, authorities confirmed.
The hiker was found dead Sunday morning on the Canyon Overlook Trail, a mile-long trail that runs along the east side of the park, according to the National Park Service.
Authorities received a call at 7:06 a.m. reporting a “possible fall of a hiker in Zion National Park,” according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.
Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue were first on the scene, where they found the deceased man “at approximately 7:40 a.m.” and determined “he was beyond help,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Washington County sheriff’s deputies arrived shortly after the Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue team and “confirmed their findings,” according to the statement.
The Zion National Park Technical Search and Rescue Team assisted in recovery efforts and the “hiker’s remains were transferred to the Washington County Medical Examiner for further examination,” according to the National Park Service.
The Canyon Overlook Trail was temporarily closed due to the incident but has since reopened, the National Park Service said.
Officials said the Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident. The identity of the hiker has not been released.
This is not the first time someone has fallen to their death at Zion National Park. In October, a 40-year-old man fell approximately 200 feet to his death while canyoneering with three others, according to the National Park Service.
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(NEW YORK) — Deviations from normal weather patterns are putting several regions in the U.S. at risk for an uptick of disease-spreading pests as winter turns to spring, according to a new analysis.
A surge in disease-spreading pests like ticks, mosquitoes, cockroaches and rodents is expected in regions that experienced especially warm or wet winters this season, according to the National Pest Management Association’s bi-annual Public Health Pest Index.
These pests can spread dangerous diseases such as Lyme disease, West Nile virus, Salmonella, plague, and hantavirus, said Jorge Parada, medical adviser for NPMA with a focus on infectious disease, in a statement. These types of pests can also trigger asthma and allergies, Parada said.
Warm winters typically allows more rats to survive, while unusual weather patterns — such as snow in New Orleans — can present a host of new pest problems, Jim Fredericks, senior vice president of public affairs for NPMA, told ABC News.
Ticks and mosquitoes survive better when it is moist, so regions that experienced especially wet winters will likely see those pests on the rise during the spring, Fredericks said.
“If the temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, ticks will be active and in search of food,” Fredericks said.
Changes in climate — both in terms of warmer temperatures as well as the extreme weather events occurring as global temperatures rise — will have a greater impact on the threats these pests pose in the future, Fredericks said. The range for pests like ticks are also spreading due to warmer temperatures, Fredericks said.
The top U.S. cities named on the pest index include:
Boston:“Brutal” snowstorms and cold snaps pushed rodents indoors in search of warmth and food sources, according to the NPMA. In addition, a forecasted warmer start to spring could give ticks a jumpstart to the season.
Cleveland:“Mild, soggy conditions” during the winter could allow for pest populations like cockroaches and ticks to flourish as temperatures rise, the analysis found.
“The pathogens that they carry that could cause food-borne illness,” Fredericks said, adding that rodent dander and urine can also exacerbate asthma symptoms.
Denver: “A frigid and snow-packed” start to the season will likely drive house mice into homes and businesses, while white-footed mice activity inside structures could increase in rural areas, according to the NPMA.
“The white-footed mouse is actually one of the vectors for hantavirus,” Fredericks said.
Grand Rapids, Michigan: “Record-breaking” snowfall is expected to drive rats and mice indoors, and heavy rain forecasted for the area could lead to a rise in tick populations as temperatures rise, according to the NPMA.
Louisville, Kentucky: Rats and mice are expected to enter structures due to extreme cold and historic snowfall. Tick activity may also begin earlier than usual due to a warm spring.
New Orleans: Historic snowfall in the region sent rats and cockroaches into homes, and mosquitoes are expected to make a “fierce comeback” as temperatures climb, the analysis found.
Salt Lake City: Winter conditions could send house mice and white-footed mice indoors.
San Antonio: “Record-breaking warmth” during the winter allowed mosquitoes, cockroaches and ticks to stay active, and a “pest boom” is expected come spring — with a surge in bites, infestations and pest-related health concerns forecasted.
Seattle: A warm, dry start to winter could lead to an increase in rodent and cockroach activity indoors and an increase in tick populations could occur with the spring rains, according to the NPMA.
Washington, D.C.: A “rollercoaster” winter that started unusually warm and ended in heavy snowfall has made rodent activity climb significantly in the nation’s capital, the report states. Tick populations could surge if spring arrives early.
Florida: The group has issued a statewide warning for Florida, pointing to the Sunshine State’s humid climate that allows disease-carrying pests to thrive year-round, the report stated. Although the winter brought dry, cool conditions, a surge is expected this spring as rising temperatures and humidity create ideal breeding conditions.
“We have all of the mosquito species here,” Ryan Carney, an assistant professor at the University of South Florida’s Department of Integrative Biology, told ABC News. “There’s a huge diversity, over 90 species of mosquitoes. Fourteen of those are anopheles, which spread malaria.”
Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on the planet, killing more than 1 million people per year from the diseases they carry, and Florida is no stranger to outbreaks of mosquito-borne illness. In 2023, nearly 200 people contracted dengue fever, and there were more than 1,500 cases of Zika in the state from 2016 to 2018, Carney said.
A citizen science project run by USF creates artificial intelligence algorithms to help identify and stop disease-carrying mosquitoes before they are able to infect humans and other large mammals.
“These citizen sciences, especially for mosquitoes, are a way that people can report these sightings of mosquitoes or mosquito bites, and that helps us scientists understand the biodiversity of mosquitoes in the area,” Carney said.
(BOSTON) — Police in Boston are searching for two suspects who allegedly posed as city workers in an armed home invasion.
The Boston Police Department released images of the unknown male suspects, who are accused of attempted robbery and burglary, according to the incident report.
The incident occurred at an apartment in the Dorchester neighborhood on Monday afternoon, police said.
“The suspects allegedly posed as city workers to gain entry into an elderly victim’s residence, where they restrained the victim, placed duct tape over their mouth, and brandished a black firearm,” the Boston Police Department said in an alert on Wednesday.
The suspects knocked on the victim’s door and forced their way in after he opened it, according to the incident report. One of the suspects was wearing a neon yellow construction worker jacket and white hard hat at the time, police said.
Once inside, one of the suspects attempted to tie the victim’s ankles together with a clear plastic bag while the other attempted to place duct tape over his mouth, according to the incident report.
When the victim broke free of the plastic bag, one of the suspects “brandished a black firearm and pointed it directly at his head,” the incident report stated.
The suspect also threw a fan at the victim after the victim pushed him to the side of a bed during a struggle, according to the incident report.
Both suspects ultimately fled the apartment, according to the incident report.
The victim sustained bruising on both of his hands and wrists, light bruising on his face and several cuts on his right ear, according to the incident report. He declined medical assistance from Boston EMS, preferring to go to his own doctor, the report stated.
Security camera footage showed the two suspects entering the apartment building at about 4:24 p.m. Monday and going to the door of the apartment, then exiting from a rear staircase at approximately 4:30 p.m., according to the incident report.
Both suspects were wearing black masks, police said. One of the suspects was also wearing a red knit Red Sox hat, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-494-TIPS.
(WASHINGTON) — Enrique Tarrio, the former chairman of the Proud Boys and who was recently pardoned by President Donald Trump, was arrested at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, according to authorities.
Tarrio, according to the U.S. Capitol Police, allegedly struck a woman’s phone and arm when she allegedly put a phone near his face after a press conference wrapped up on Capitol grounds.
Tarrio was sentenced in September 2023 for his conviction on seditious conspiracy and given the longest sentence of all of the convicted Jan. 6 rioters, though he was not at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
During his sentencing, prosecutors pointed to a nine-page strategic plan to “storm” government buildings in Washington on Jan. 6 that was found in Tarrio’s possession after the riot, as well as violent rhetoric they say he routinely used in messages with other members of the group about what they would do if Congress moved forward in certifying President Joe Biden’s election win.
Tarrio was notably sentenced to the longest term of imprisonment among all of the nearly 1,600 individuals charged in connection with the attack.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
