Holly MatkinBoulder, CO – Boulder Police Department (BPD) Officer Ashley Haarmann died on Thursday after falling from a trail while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), according to her department.
The off-duty 35-year-old officer was hiking west of Martha’s Couloir on the south face of Mount Lady Washington when she fell approximately 200 feet from a treacherous portion of the mountain path, KCNC reported.
A family member notified RMNP rangers they had received an emergency alert from a satellite communication device, prompting Search and Rescue and the Mesa Verde Interagency Helitak crew to be dispatched, according to 9News.
The teams located Officer Haarmann at approximately 4:45 p.m.
She died in the “tumbling fall,” RMNP staff told KCNC.
Members of the BPD command staff went to the park and covered the fallen officer’s body with an American flag before it was escorted from the area late last night, KDVR reported.
“Our Department is again mourning the loss of a friend, coworker and dedicated public servant,” Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said in a press release on Friday. “Ashley was doing something she loved yesterday, and though it’s not much, I hope we can take some solace in that.”
Officer Haarmann served the BPD for approximately 18 months.
Boulder Police Officer Dies While Hikinghttps://t.co/Z305SoFFDS #Boulder
— Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) July 16, 2021
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Boulder Police Department Officer Ashley Haarmann, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.
