A mother-of-four died Monday after falling over a 20-foot cliff while visiting her favorite spot at an Arizona national park.
Jennifer Petri, 44, was hiking with a friend around 4 p.m. in Coconino National Forest near Sedona when she dropped over the steep ledge, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said.
The friend told officers that Petri was “no longer” visible and had fallen in an area known to locals as “The Bluffs,” located approximately 200 feet above West Clear Creek.
The spot is described by the USDA Forest Service as “steep,” “deep” and “rocky,” and officials warn hikers that “emergency services are distant” from the gorge.
The “dangerous” terrain proved difficult for rescuers trying to find Petri — YCSO deputies needed binoculars to find the injured woman, who had landed at the base of a cliff just above the water’s edge.
By the time rescuers reached Petri, she had already died. She was airlifted out of the canyon.
How Petri toppled over the cliff is still under investigation.
A spokesperson for the YCSO could not tell The Post whether foul play could have played a factor.
Family friend Danae Wolf told 12 News Petri was an avid outdoorsman who typically spent every Sunday at the creek with her family.
“Jennifer, she’s goofy, she’s funny and adventurous. Had the most contagious smile,” Wolf the outlet.
“She was everyone’s friend. She had so much compassion for people and empathy. And it’s really something I looked up to.”
Petri — who was a well-loved server at Camp Verde Denny’s — leaves behind her husband and four sons, one of whom turned 15 just two days after her death.
“I want her to be remembered for her compassion and the amazing mother that she was,” said Wolf. “She was the glue that held her family together.”
