NPS mourns loss of ranger who died on-duty after falling at Bryce Canyon in Utah

A 78-year-old ranger at the Bryce Canyon National Park died due to injuries he sustained after he tripped and fell while on-duty.

Tom Lorig was working with park visitors, directing them to a shuttle bus, at Bryce Canyon’s annual Astronomy Festival around 11:30 p.m. Friday when he fell and struck his head on a large rock, the National Park Service said in a news release.

A visitor found Lorig unresponsive and immediately alerted a law enforcement ranger. Park rangers, medically trained bystanders, and local EMS personnel provided Lorig with initial lifesaving care but were unable to revive him, NPS said.

Deceased worked was a volunteer park ranger

Lorig, who served as registered nurse in Seattle for 40 years, worked with the NPS as a permanent, seasonal, and volunteer park ranger.

He began his work with the National Park Service at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in June of 1968 and served at 14 national park sites including Badlands, Bryce Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, El Malpais, Florissant Fossil Beds, Glen Canyon, Klondike Gold Rush, Mount Rainier, New River Gorge, Olympic, Saguaro, Yosemite, Zion, and Dinosaur National Monument, “of which he was especially fond,” NPS said.

“Tom Lorig served Bryce Canyon, the National Park Service, and the public as an interpretive park ranger, forging connections between the world and these special places that he loved,” said Park Superintendent Jim Ireland, said in a statement.

“As our community processes and grieves this terrible loss, we extend our deepest condolences to all of Ranger Lorig’s family and friends.”

Ireland also thanked NPS officials, emergency services staff and local bystanders who helped in administering first-aid to the ranger.

Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southern Utah, within a couple hours drive of both Zion National Park and Capitol Reef National Park and about four hours from Salt Lake City.

Bryce Canyon is the smallest and highest of Utah’s “Mighty 5” national parks at 56 square miles and an average elevation of 8,000 feet (some areas top 9,000 feet above sea level).

Contributing: Eve Chen, USA TODAY

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.