‘One lucky nugget’: Cat survives after apparently falling with owners who died at Bryce Canyon National Park​on May 1, 2025 at 2:41 pm

Mirage, an elderly female tabby, was found with her owners in Bryce Canyon National Park and appears to have survived the fall that killed them.

​A cat, named Mirage, seems to have survived a fall at Bryce Canyon National Park, and was found near its owners, who were killed.  

Mirage, an elderly female tabby, was found with her owners in Bryce Canyon National Park and appears to have survived the fall that killed them.

Matthew Nannen, 45, and Bailee Crane, 58, fell off of Inspiration Point in the park either Monday night or Tuesday morning, according to a news release from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. Their bodies were spotted Tuesday by fellow park visitors, about 380 feet below the popular lookout spot.

The sheriff’s office said the couple seemed to be living out of a U-Haul and came to Utah from Arizona, though their last known permanent residence was in Florida.

With Nannen and Crane, officials also found Mirage, estimated to be 12 years old, in a black, soft-sided carrier that was dirty and torn, according to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. It appears Mirage fell with them, the sanctuary said, and she was “matted and a bit sore” but “seemed to have weathered the fall fairly well.”

Best Friends said the cat was friendly upon examination, and that her bloodwork was normal. The veterinary staff was waiting for more X-rays to see if she broke any ribs or sustained other injuries.

Video from Best Friends shows staff gently petting the cat and marveling that she could have fallen hundreds of feet and survived.

Mirage appears happy to lean into their affection, especially a stroke under her chin, as she scans those attending to her and the room with her green eyes.

“You are one lucky nugget,” one staffer said while administering a syringe.

This is a developing story.