Poway Girl, 8, Dies in 550-Foot Fall at Yellowstone

The 8-year-old was hiking in the canyon with her family before losing her footing

A Poway girl has died after falling 550 feet into a canyon at Yellowstone National Park Sunday morning.

Park officials say Zahra Allahyari, 8, was hiking with her family to the Brink of the Lower Falls, above the Wyoming park's Grand Canyon.

As they walked two-thirds of the way down the trail near an observation point, Allahyari reportedly stepped off the trail and lost her footing.

She tumbled 550 feet to the bottom of the canyon.

Yellowstone workers recovered the 8-year-old's body a few hours later.

NBC 7 has learned Zahra attended Pomerado Elementary School, where administrators are contacting families by phone and email to tell them that counselors will be available for students, staff and families through the week and beyond if they need them.

The Poway Unified Board of Education will also have a moment of silence in Zahra's memory at their meeting Tuesday night.

"Pomerado Elementary School and the entire Poway Unified family sends its deepest condolences to Zahraโ€™s family. She was a bright, compassionate child with immense promise for the future. The news of her sudden passing has been a shock to our community," said a statement from Jessica Wakefield, the communcations director for the Poway Unified School District.

According to the National Park Service, this is the third time someone has accidentally died in Yellowstone this year.

The same day Zahra died, the body of a 22-year-old Georgia man, who went missing while tubing on a park river, was discovered.

In June, a 36-year-old man from Taiwan was killed by a falling tree on a hiking trail. 

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