Man who fell in Zion ID'd

ZION NATIONAL PARK — National Park Service rangers have released the name of a man who fell nearly 300 feet to his death.

Keith Beidermann, 48, Garden Grove, Calif., was with two friends rappelling out of Heaps Canyon, rangers said. His friends were in the Upper Emerald Pools waiting for him to descend when he fell 285 feet onto the rocks below.

Beidermann's friends reported the death around 11:34 p.m. Monday.

Heaps Canyon is considered a technically challenging route for experienced canyoneers, the park said. Beidermann and his friends were granted a permit for the area. Heaps Canyon is closed while the fall is being investigated.