Zion National Park, Utah (KTVX/QCW) – A 58-year-old man died in a rappelling accident in Pine Creek Canyon in Zion National Park over the weekend.
According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, National Park Service (NPS) law enforcement responded at approximately 12:10 p.m. Sunday to a 911 text message about a paddling incident involving a visitor on the final descent.
Bystanders administered CPR while NPS first responders were immediately dispatched to walk across the terrain to reach the man. NPS arrived at approximately 1:30 p.m
The man was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:42 p.m., the sheriff’s office said
Due to the remote location, the man was transported by helicopter to the Washington County Medical Examiner.
The US Department of the Interior confirmed that the companion who was with the canyon climber was safely rescued from the canyon wall. The accident is still under investigation.
This route is particularly difficult to climb and descend, said Jess Kavang, a tour guide with Zion Adventure.
“Once you make landing number one, there’s no going back,” she said. “You have to move on.”
She also said that an incident like this takes an emotional toll.
“It hurts. You can easily see it happening to your friends or your family, because we all come from the canyons here,” she said. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, this only happens to other people.’ It happens to people in our community. And so it’s a really tough day when we hear things like this happen.”