By Jessie Elder
The U.S. flag in front of the ASB is flying half-staff today for Rachael Neil, a BYU student from Mesa, Ariz., who drowned Friday, August 19, in the Merced River in Yosemite National Park.
Rachael was hiking on the John Muir trail above Nevada Fall with some friends when she slipped into the Merced River, about quarter mile above the waterfall. Swift currents pulled Neil downstream and underwater.
Search and rescue personnel were unable to recover Neil?s body due to deep holes and high water conditions. Recovery attempts will resume when the Merced River water level recedes.
Born in Phoenix, Ariz., on January 22, 1983, to Steven and Janelle Neil, Rachael was the oldest of eight children. She was a senior majoring in Exercise Science with a Nutrition emphasis.
?She always had something to laugh about and would even laugh at my jokes,? wrote her sister Emily Neil, 16, on the Web blog http://tinyurl.com/b77mr. ?She always read her scriptures and was an inspiration.?
Described by many as an unforgettably cheerful and energetic person with a zeal for life, Rachael enjoyed singing, dancing, playing and hiking.
?Rachael was full throttle on love, totally vested in life, and ever present in service to friends, family, and God,? wrote Ed Crow from Phoenix, Ariz., on the same Web site.
A memorial will be held for Rachael at 7 p.m. tonight in 3290 WSC.