Yosemite Park Visitor Killed After Falling Into River Identified

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK (CBS SF) – A Yosemite National Park visitor who died after falling into a river on Christmas Day, during the partial government shutdown, has reportedly been identified.

Officials with the Mariposa County coroner told the Bay Area News Group that the victim was Joshua Brock Conner, a 32-year-old originally from Lakeview, Ohio.

The official told the newspaper that Conner died of head injuries and his death appears to be an accidental fall.

According to his Facebook page, Conner had recently been living in the Los Angeles area and was a nurse at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

A National Park Service spokesperson last week told Outside Magazine that the man apparently slipped at the Silver Apron between Vernal and Nevada Falls.

"Rangers were on scene in less than an hour and the visitor was removed from the water. Medical attention was provided to the visitor, but he died from his injuries. The visitor was not in a closed area," spokesperson Andrew Munoz told the magazine.

Munoz said the investigation is taking longer than usual because of the shutdown, which began on December 22nd.

The shutdown entered its 18th day on Tuesday, with President Donald Trump and Congress remaining at an impasse on the issue of funding of Trump's proposed border wall. Hundreds of thousands of government workers are not receiving their paychecks and national parks throughout the country have reported health, sanitary and environmental issues as parks remain open.

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Trump is expected to deliver a prime-time address drumming up support for the wall Tuesday night, while Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer expected to deliver a response from the Democratic side.

Funeral services for Conner are being held in Ohio on Friday.