National park ranger dies during astronomy festival after falling on rock

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (KVVU/Gray News) - A national park ranger is dead in Nevada after he reportedly tripped and fell during an astronomy festival being held there Friday.

According to the National Park Service, Tom Lorig, a ranger at Bryce Canyon National Park, was directing a visitor to a shuttle bus around 11:30 p.m. when he tripped and hit his head on a large rock.

The visitor found him unresponsive and notified a nearby law enforcement ranger.

National Park Service rangers, along with medically-trained bystanders and local EMS, worked to revive Lorig, but were unsuccessful.

Park Superintendent Jim Ireland said in a statement that Lorig served Bryce Canyon, the National Park Service and the public as an interpretive park ranger.

“As our community processes and grieves this terrible loss, we extend our deepest condolences to all of Ranger Lorig’s family and friends,” the statement said. “We also want to express gratitude to the National Park Service and Garfield County emergency services staff who responded as well as to the bystanders who assisted NPS first responders.”

Lorig served for 40 years as a registered nurse in Seattle and for over a decade as a permanent, seasonal and volunteer park ranger.

He began his work with the National Park Service at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in June of 1968.

Throughout his career, Lorig served at 14 national park sites including Badlands, Bryce Canyon, Klondike Gold Rush, Mount Rainier, Yosemite, Zion and Dinosaur National Monument, of which he was especially fond.