Off-duty officer dies hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park

Authorities say an off-duty police officer in Colorado has died in a 200-foot fall while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park this week

Police Officer Fatal Fall

An off-duty police officer in Colorado died in a 200-foot (70-meter) fall while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park this week.

Park rangers responded Thursday to Mount Lady Washington, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Denver The rangers were helped in their search by a helicopter crew assigned to a wildfire near Steamboat Springs.

The Boulder police officer, identified as 35-year-old Ashley Haarmann of Loveland, took a tumbling fall and died at the park, authorities said.

Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold sent members of the department's command staff to the park to make sure Haarmann was covered with the American flag until she was escorted to the coroner's office.

“Our department is again mourning the loss of a friend, coworker and dedicated public servant,” Herold said. “Ashley was doing something she loved yesterday, and though it’s not much, I hope we can take some solace in that.”

Haarmann had worked for the police department for about 1 1/2 years.