MESA, Ariz. – An Arizona State University student is dead after she fell while rappelling from a cliff in the Tonto National Forest.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office says the 21-year-old woman was rappelling in Coon Bluff, a popular recreation area near the Salt River, on Saturday morning when the incident occurred.
Sheriff's Office spokesman Chris Hegstrom says she fell about 125 feet and was unresponsive. Despite life-saving efforts by deputies, she was pronounced dead.
Authorities say the woman was part of a group of 20 climbers from ASU. They also say she was the daughter of a Phoenix police lieutenant.
Investigators are looking into the cause but say it appears to be accidental.
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