Authorities are currently investigating the tragic death of a Korean American woman from California who tragically fell to her demise while climbing Teewinot Mountain in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.
Joy Cho, a resident of Simi Valley, lost her life on-site after a fall while ascending the west face of Teewinot Mountain with a group of seven others on the morning of August 11, according to local media reports.
The Grand Teton National Park Service was alerted to the distress call at dawn that day. Jenny Lake Rangers promptly responded to the location and discovered Cho. Regrettably, she succumbed to the severe injuries sustained in the fall at the scene, as reported by the media.
Following this tragic incident, the park service undertook the task of securing Cho’s body to a rope and then employed a helicopter to transport it from the mountain. Simultaneously, the Jenny Rangers in Lupine Meadows successfully brought the seven fellow hikers to the Lake and later ensured their safe return to the trailhead where their vehicles were parked.
The park service is currently engaged in an investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding Cho’s fall.
Meanwhile, local media reports indicate that Teewinot Mountain, where Cho was climbing, stands at an elevation of 12,325 feet above sea level and is characterized by its rocky walls. This mountain is frequently chosen by climbers with intermediate to advanced skills as a route without the use of ropes. Consequently, accidents of this nature occur with some regularity.
In the most recent incident, which transpired in September 2021, a Japanese mountaineer named Hitoshi Onoe met his unfortunate end while attempting the Black Chimney route.
Six years prior to that, Jackson residents Tyler Strandberg and Catherine Nix also tragically lost their lives while hiking in Grand Teton National Park. Both individuals were discovered to have veered off their intended route.
In response to these incidents, Young-yong Ryu, the principal of the KAFA Alpine School, expressed, “The mountain’s rocky terrain demands climbers to possess intermediate to advanced skills. It’s a somber occurrence because individuals generally invest a significant amount of time preparing themselves to take on the challenge posed by this mountain.”
BY NICOLE CHANG [chang.nicole@koreadaily.com]
