Two People Killed In Yosemite Rockslide

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK—The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that two people were killed in a rockslide in Yosemite National Park on Tuesday morning.

The rockslide occurred at approximately 9:00 am on Tuesday, December 27th, 2022, on El Portal Road (continuation of Highway 140 inside Yosemite National Park), as reported here.

Officials say 51-year-old Georgios Theocharous and 35-year-old Ming Yan, a couple from San Jose, were killed in the rockslide when the couple’s rental truck was hit by the rock and debris that had fallen from 1,000 feet above El Portal Road.

A portion of El Portal Road from the park boundary in El Portal to the intersection of the Big Oak Flat Road was closed throughout Tuesday and overnight after the rockslide but has since reopened.

Yosemite Park Officials are advising holiday and weekend visitors to be  prepared for delays while entering the park and leaving Yosemite Valley in the afternoons. They recommend arriving before mid-morning. They also advise that tire chains may be required and you must carry tire chains in your car and be prepared to use them (even if your car has four-wheel drive): chains may become mandatory at any time. Drive carefully even when there are no chain requirements: you may encounter icy spots on mostly dry roads.