California mom falls 140 feet off cliff while hiking with husband and child in Arizona

“She had a heart of gold and was very dear to all of us,” Farwa Zaidi, who identified herself as Zaynab Joseph’s sister, wrote on Facebook.

• Zaynab Joseph, 40, was staying at an Airbnb in Sedona, Arizona, with her family at the time of the incident, YCSO said.

• A hiker descended to an embankment and found the woman seriously injured, authorities said.

• “No words can describe the pain our families are experiencing,” Farwa Zaidi, who identified herself as Joseph’s sister, wrote on Facebook.

A 40-year-old California mother died after falling from a cliff in Arizona while hiking with her husband and toddler on April 15, authorities said.

In a press release, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) said it responded to a report that a woman, identified as Zaynab Joseph, had fallen from a 140-foot cliff on Bear Mountain in Sedona. The department said a group of hikers heard screams and learned the woman was seriously injured.

“While members of the group were calling 911, one of them went down the embankment and noticed that the victim was still breathing, but unfortunately, he died a short time later,” the YCSO said in its statement.

Related: Tourist dies after falling off cliff in New York state park while hiking with husband

Authorities said the Sedona Fire Department arrived on scene first and confirmed Joseph’s death while YCSO responded with its search and rescue teams.

Joseph’s body was found when her husband and one-year-old child were airlifted from the mountain.

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At the time, the family was renting an Airbnb in Sedona, authorities added.

The YCSO said it spoke with hikers coming down the mountain and that an investigation into the incident was underway.

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According to his LinkedIn profile, as reported by USA todayJoseph was a part-time teacher at Orange Crescent School in Garden Grove, California, and is a graduate of the University of Toledo.

In an April 16 Facebook post, Farwa Zaidi, who identified herself as Joseph’s sister, wrote: “She had a heart of gold and was very dear to all of us. No words can describe the pain our families are experiencing, especially her husband and three young children.

The next day, Zaidi posted another message on Facebook about Joseph that read: “My Zaynab Joseph, I will remember you for the rest of my life! I lost my sister, my friend, my mentor, the “mom” of my children ❤️ and my confidante. You will live in my heart, forever and ever, always! I love you so much.”

Related: Woman Dies After Falling 150 Feet From North Carolina Cliff: ‘My Heart is Broken,’ Her Husband Says

In that same Facebook post, Zaidi shared a post in which Joseph posted a work by the 13th-century poet Rumi on his Facebook account on November 1, 2021. The post began with the poet’s words: “On the day I died, when I am carried to the grave, do not cry.

PEOPLE has contacted Zaidi for comment.

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