Yosemite Ranger Recovers Body Of Third Vernal Fall Victim
2009 photo of Vernon Fall in Yosemite National Park (AP Photo/The Tahoe Tribune, Jonah M. Kessel)
The body of 21-year-old Ramina Badal was discovered by a park ranger on Saturday afternoon in the Merced River. Yosemite National Park confirmed today that the body was that of the third hiker who died at the park in July.
Badal, 22-year-old Hormiz David and 27-year-old Ninos Yacoub were spotted by witnesses on July 19 while crossing a metal guardrail near the fast moving water at Vernal Fall. All three hikers slipped, fell and were swept over the 317-foot waterfall.
A park ranger recovered Badal's body about 120 yards below the Vernal Fall footbridge in the Merced River at approximately 1pm on Saturday, according to a Yosemite news release.
David's body was found by park rangers and Search and Rescue (SAR) personnel in the Merced River about 240 feet from the base of the falls on August 5. Yacoub's body was recently located by a park ranger on November 29 near the spot where Badal's body was later discovered.
Park officials, along with several other agencies, had been searching for the trio since July. Treacherous terrain, fluctuating water levels and changing weather conditions complicated their search. All three victims were California residents.
