(ProsperNews.net) – A Utah park ranger has died in a freak accident while helping visitors navigate a yearly astronomy event. Park Ranger Tom Lorig died during the Bryce Canyon’s annual Astronomy Festival when he fell and hit his head on a rock while directing guests to a shuttle bus. The 78-year-old was unresponsive after the fall, and despite desperate life-saving efforts by emergency responders, he did not regain consciousness.
Park Superintendent Jim Ireland issued a statement saying Mr. Lorig, a registered nurse, had served at Bryce Canyon for more than ten years, and his death was “a terrible loss.” He expressed his condolences to Lorig’s family and his gratitude to National Park Service officials and Garfield County emergency services staff who attempted to revive him.
Mr. Lorig was a long-time volunteer at several US parks, including Yosemite National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and Dinosaur National Monument. Ireland described him as a dedicated public servant who forged connections with visitors and expressed love and commitment to some of America’s most beautiful natural wonders.
The Dinosaur National Monument on the Utah – Colorado border was among his favorite places. The national park contains fossils from dinosaurs, including the Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, and Allosaurus. Visitors can study more than 1,500 dinosaur remains at the Quarry Exhibit Hall, where they are exposed on a steep cliff face. The exhibit also includes petroglyphs, patterns carved into rock by ancient peoples, and pictographs, rare surviving paintings from thousands of years ago.
Before serving at the Dinosaur National Monument, Mr. Lorig began his love affair with nature as a volunteer at the Carlsbad National Park in New Mexico in 1968. This Land of Enchantment park is located in the Chihuahuan Desert and is home to deep canyons, sea ledges, and more than 130 species of desert wildlife, including North America’s largest remaining black-tailed prairie dog complex. It is also one of the few areas in the world occupied by grizzly bears, wolves, and jaguars living side by side.
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