Barefoot hiker from Washington dies in 100-foot plunge into Arizona canyon, cops say

When barefoot hiker Jordan Brashears vanished around a corner Thursday evening, his two companions didn’t think much of it, an Arizona sheriff’s office says.

But when his fellow hikers rounded the corner, the 29-year-old Washington man was nowhere to be found, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Searchers later discovered Brashears had plunged 100 feet to his death in Boynton Canyon near Sedona, the release says.

The three men had set out to view Native American cliffside dwellings in the canyon on Thursday. After his friends couldn’t find Brashears, they called 911 about 6:15 p.m.

Searchers looked for Brashears until darkness fell, then continued the search Friday morning with the help of a helicopter and a drone, the release says.

They found his water bottle, shoes and a cellphone before discovering his body about 9 a.m. Friday, the release says.

Searchers say it appears Brashears accidentally fell while trying to climb to a higher ledge on the canyon wall.

This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 12:40 PM with the headline "Barefoot hiker from Washington dies in 100-foot plunge into Arizona canyon, cops say."