Man and woman fall to death from Taft Point in Yosemite National Park

West View from Promontory Point in Autumn, Taft Point Overlook, Yosemite Valley and El Capitan, Taft Point, Yosemite National Park.

On August 14, an oak tree branch fell onto a tent at the Upper Pines campground. The two teens sleeping inside were tragically killed.

The last time someone at the park was killed by a falling tree was in 2012, when a concession employee was slain by a falling limb on his tent.

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The most high-profile death in the park recently was the accidental death of wingsuit flier Dean Potter. Potter and jump partner Graham Hunt died when they struck a cliff while trying to fly through a gap in a rock formation. Their death precipitated an investigation to determine the exact cause of their accident, but no firm answers have surfaced.

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In 2012, nine people were infected with hantavirus, a virus transmitted by mice through their feces, urine and saliva. Three people died, the largest outbreak in a single geographic area since 1993. Hantavirus is marked by flu-like symptoms and fluid filling the chest cavity.

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It’s important to always stay on the designated trails, as many accidents happen in off-trail areas. In 2011, two men and a woman crossed a metal barricade above the 317-foot Vernal Fall, making their way over slick granite to pose for a picture. They slipped and fell, all perishing.  less

Drownings are not uncommon in Yosemite. In 2012, two brothers aged 6 and 10 were swept away by the current of the Merced River. In 2013, a 19-year-old on a church group hike was killed after being overtaken by the river’s current. Yosemite officials discourage swimming beyond the designated areas because of the possibility of accident. Slips on wet rocks and deceptively strong currents can catch many visitors unaware.

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Todd Skinner, a renowned rock climber and author who made a name for himself scaling peaks around the world, was killed in 2006 when he fell 500 feet while attempting a first ascent near Bridalveil Fall. His death shocked the climbing community; it was later discovered the nylon loop used to attach the climbing rope to his harness snapped.

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Rockslides happen occasionally at Yosemite, and the aftermath can be catastrophic. For example, in 1999 a rockfall below Glacier Point sent car-sized rocks tumbling down the cliffs, killing one college student who was climbing the cliff face.

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And then there are the truly bizarre incidents, like the case of Cary Stayner. In February 1999, the handyman at a motel outside the park killed Carole Sund, 42, her 15-year-old daughter and their friend Silvina Pelosso, 16. Five months later, he killed and beheaded 26-year-old Joie Armstrong, a Yosemite nature guide. He was sentenced to death in 2002.

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Photos of the deadly rockslide in 2017 on El Capitan were posted on social media that killed two climbers.

This provided photo shows Jason Wells, left, and Tim Klein during a climb along the Nose climbing route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Family and friends say the two men who fell to their deaths while climbing El Capitan at Yosemite National park were elite climbers who partnered on routes since their college days in San Diego. The National Park Service has said, Wells and Klein were about 1,000 feet up the so-called Freeblast Route when they fell on Saturday June 2, 2018. (Greg Murphy via AP) less