This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Search and rescue workers reached a fallen Zion National Park canyoneer Sunday morning, only to find that the Las Vegas man had died from his injuries.
Park spokeswoman Aly Baltrus said the 24-year-old man, whose identity was being withheld pending notification of next of kin, had fallen 100 feet into the southern Utah park's Heaps Canyon about 7 p.m. Saturday. Three companions descended to him, one staying with the victim while the other two went on to find help.
About 11:30 p.m. Saturday, they reached park personnel. However, with conditions dark and treacherous, rescue efforts had to await dawn Sunday to proceed.
"Heaps Canyon is a strenuous, challenging technical canyon with an approximate 3,000-foot descent," Baltrus explained. "It usually takes 12 to 20 hours to complete, consists of a number of rappels into cold water, and ends with a final 280-foot rappel to the Upper Emerald Pool area."
Early Sunday morning, a helicopter from Grand Canyon National Park hauled two park rescue workers into the canyon above the victim, from where they rappelled down to him.
They learned he had died during the night of his extensive injuries.
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