Camper taking bathroom break in dark falls 120 feet to her death, Arizona cops say

A camper died in a 120-foot fall after going to take a “restroom break” in the dark, Arizona deputies said.

The 29-year-old woman was camping with her friends Saturday, Aug. 30 near Forest Lakes, on the edge of the Mogollon Rim, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

At about 1 a.m., she walked away from the campsite in the dark to go to the bathroom, deputies said.

Then she fell 120 feet over the edge of the rim, deputies said.

Rescuers recovered her body.

The Mogollon Rim runs 200 miles across northeastern Arizona, and it includes 2,000-foot drop offs, according to Arizona Office of Tourism.

Forest Lakes is about a 130-mile drive northeast from Phoenix.

This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 12:45 PM with the headline "Camper taking bathroom break in dark falls 120 feet to her death, Arizona cops say."

Helena Wegner

McClatchy DC

Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.