Fatality in Heaps

[Taylor]

SPRINGDALE, Washington County — Search-and-rescue crews recovered the body of a 24-year-old Las Vegas man Sunday who died from a fall in Zion National Park.

The man apparently fell 100 feet while canyoneering with friends in Heaps Canyon (http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=35473039&nid=481#map) about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, said Zion spokeswoman Aly Baltrus. She described the fall into a side canyon as "unroped." The victim's three companions descended to him. One stayed with him, while the other two continued through the canyon to get help.

Two Zion search-and-rescue teams and a helicopter from Grand Canyon National Park started rescue efforts early Sunday. Rescuers rappelled down and found the man dead, Baltrus said.

His name is being withheld pending notification of his family, she said.

Heaps Canyon is a strenuous, challenging technical canyon with an approximate 3,000-foot descent, Baltrus said. It consists of a number of rappels into cold water, and ends with a 280-foot rappel to the Upper Emerald Pool area. It usually takes 12 to 20 hours to complete.

As of July 6, Zion had 175 emergency calls, a 34 percent increase over last year, Baltrus said.

There have been 57 search-and-rescue calls this year, 32 more than for the same period in 2014. In the past week, the park has responded to at least 16 emergency calls, including carrying three people out of the Narrows last Wednesday, she said.

[jman]

That's sad! An unroped 100ft fall. I was guessing this was at the final sequence. Not this time.

I'm sure we will hear and learn more later on...

Ugh...I'm sorry for your loss! (if the family comes across this)






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AlohaChris]

Terrible. 1130 pm, where would they have been?

[Iceaxe]

I'm guessing the the entrance ridge where you rappel into Phantom Valley, that's the only place I can think of where you could fall into a side canyon. But that's a WAG based on a news report which we know to be unreliable.

[Scott P]

Terrible news. My condolences to the friends and family.

[AlohaChris]

One of the canyoneers from the party is posting on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/canyoneering/comments/3d2b0b/fatality_in_heaps/

He says they misread the beta and got off route, first time through Heaps for all of them. Sad story.

[Bootboy]

Terrible. 1130 pm, where would they have been?

The park was notified at 11:30 pm. Other sources say the fall occurred at 7:00. Makes more sense

[Iceaxe]

Keyhole area? Iron room? I've done Heaps several times but have no clue where this section is unless they are talking about the Devil's Pit area from the old Black Book report. And I've still never understood how anyone gets off course through this section as you simply flow the water course but somehow folks have for the past 30 years.

[Bo_Beck]

Keyhole area? Iron room? I've done Heaps several times but have no clue where this section is unless they are talking about the Devil's Pit area from the old Black Book report. And I've still never understood how anyone gets off course through this section as you simply flow the water course but somehow folks have for the past 30 years.

Just after the "Devils Pit" is a "now" a 10' downclimb-rappel. I just was in Heaps a month ago and it has changed from my previous 19 trips through. The only thing I could imagine is that they tried to upclimb left just after this drop? Not sure though? Just downcanyon a bit further are the 2 left ledge rappels before arriving at the de-wetsuit area? Maybe he tried to go downcanyon below the 'left ledges" and scramble up right above the slot below?

[ratagonia]

The brief bit of information from Reddit:

knoubis (https://www.reddit.com/user/knoubis)>
Hey guys, I'm one of the three other canyoneers mentioned in the article. The fall happened at the "keyhole" area after the iron room. This was the first time through heaps for all 4 of us. We misread beta and thought that the opening by the keyhole was the up-climb before the final sequence. I can try to answer any other questions.

kittenbear313 (https://www.reddit.com/user/kittenbear313)>
I'm so sorry to hear that. that must have been so awful for you. so he fell 100 feet trying to climb up to find an anchor? did they reach his family yet? just wondering who it is.. if we know any of u? I'm so sorry again..
knoubis (https://www.reddit.com/user/knoubis) >
He was above the climb, looking around the mesa that he'd climbed. The family has been notified, I'm only comfortable saying that we are the group that did big falls with the canyonwerks folks 3 weeks ago.

vegasbickel (https://www.reddit.com/user/vegasbickel) >

What were you using for beta? Were helmets worn?
knoubis (https://www.reddit.com/user/knoubis) >

We were using bluugnome, we just miscounted raps. Helmets were worn.
vegasbickel (https://www.reddit.com/user/vegasbickel) >
scary stuff

[qedcook]

I'm not totally familiar with the different areas of Heaps. I could imagine what the "iron room" and "keyhole" sections would be, but I don't know. Since I did Heaps without anyone who had done it before, I can say that there are definitely a couple of spots that make you scratch your head and say, "Is that the upclimb?", and "Wait, which way is downcanyon?", and "Is that a log, or the canyon wall?"

[ratagonia]

Just after the "Devils Pit" is a "now" a 10' downclimb-rappel. I just was in Heaps a month ago and it has changed from my previous 19 trips through. The only thing I could imagine is that they tried to upclimb left just after this drop? Not sure though? Just downcanyon a bit further are the 2 left ledge rappels before arriving at the de-wetsuit area? Maybe he tried to go downcanyon below the 'left ledges" and scramble up right above the slot below?

huh.

Last year, first time through, that spot (JUST after the Devil's Pit) was a 10' rappel, and I had to go back and rig a rap off the top of the Devil's Pit log. There were holes in the wall where bolts had been.

A couple weeks later, sand had filled those in and we just walked out of there. As I remember it is usually a 10 rappel, though sometimes it is a 5' hop-down.

The canyon turns sharply right there...

Accident occurred at 7 pm. Not dark yet.

Counting raps seems a terrible way of navigating in Heaps.

Tom

[Bo_Beck]

huh.

Last year, first time through, that spot (JUST after the Devil's Pit) was a 10' rappel, and I had to go back and rig a rap off the top of the Devil's Pit log. There were holes in the wall where bolts had been.
Tom

Tom....if you look to the right of where the holes are now...there's a small alcove (right side LDC) with a single "bolt/hanger", where it's always been...at least it has been there ever since my first trip through nearly 20 years ago.

[ratagonia]

Tom....if you look to the right of where the holes are now...there's a small alcove (right side LDC) with a single "bolt/hanger", where it's always been...at least it has been there ever since my first trip through nearly 20 years ago.

Huh. i'm not so good at seeing such things.

Tom

[whansen]

The brief bit of information from Reddit:

knoubis (https://www.reddit.com/user/knoubis)>
Hey guys, I'm one of the three other canyoneers mentioned in the article. The fall happened at the "keyhole" area after the iron room. This was the first time through heaps for all 4 of us. We misread beta and thought that the opening by the keyhole was the up-climb before the final sequence. I can try to answer any other questions.

kittenbear313 (https://www.reddit.com/user/kittenbear313)>
I'm so sorry to hear that. that must have been so awful for you. so he fell 100 feet trying to climb up to find an anchor? did they reach his family yet? just wondering who it is.. if we know any of u? I'm so sorry again..
knoubis (https://www.reddit.com/user/knoubis) >
He was above the climb, looking around the mesa that he'd climbed. The family has been notified, I'm only comfortable saying that we are the group that did big falls with the canyonwerks folks 3 weeks ago.

vegasbickel (https://www.reddit.com/user/vegasbickel) >

What were you using for beta? Were helmets worn?
knoubis (https://www.reddit.com/user/knoubis) >

We were using bluugnome, we just miscounted raps. Helmets were worn.
vegasbickel (https://www.reddit.com/user/vegasbickel) >
scary stuff
Knoubis said the victim was up on the mesa looking around for an anchor when he fell. Is it possible to get to the mesa from there?

[harness man]

Really shocked and saddened by the accident.
Sincerest condolences to family and friends.
It is really hard to know what to say, but as part of our canyoneering family we wish you all the best in this time of loss.

[Iceaxe]

Counting raps seems a terrible way of navigating in Heaps.

That was my first thought.... one man's rap is another man's downclimb/jump/slide/scramble/walk around.

[Iceaxe]

100-foot fall at Zion National Park kills UNLV dental student

LAS VEGAS (KSNV News3LV) -- Family of 24-year-old dental student and avid hiker, Bryan Artmann, said he died in a hiking accident Saturday in Zion National Park.

Artmann was with a group of friends in Heaps Canyon that had been canyoneering -- a sport where people rappel from the top of a mountain or canyon to get to the bottom. Artmann had apparently taken a 100-foot unroped fall into a side canyon at approximately 7 p.m. The victim's three companions descended to him. One stayed with him, while the other two continued on through the rest of Heaps Canyon to get help.

According to a news release by Zion National Park, Heaps Canyon is a strenuous, challenging technical canyon with an approximate 3,000 foot descent. 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.

Rescue efforts started early Sunday. A helicopter from Grand Canyon National Park was sent to Zion to assist. Two Zion Search and Rescue team members were short-hauled into the canyon above the Artmann and rappelled down to find him deceased.

Artmann's sister, Ashley, said Bryan was experienced at canyoneering, and had been hiking for most of his life.

According to a friend who posted on social media website reddit.com, the hiking group misread the information available about the climb and climbed in the wrong location.

Hiking wasn't only Artmann's passion. His sister said he was a nationally recognized pole vaulter who excelled in high school and college.

Artmann attended Green Valley High School and the University of Redlands, before studying dentistry at UNLV.

As of July 6, 2015, Zion has had 175 emergency medical assistance calls, a 34 percent increase over last year. There have been 57 search and rescue calls in 2015 compared with 32 for the same time last year, a 78 percent increase. Over the past week, the park rangers responded to at least 16 EMS calls, including three carry-outs from the Narrows on Wednesday.

http://www.news3lv.com/mostpopular/story/100-foot-fall-at-Zion-National-Park-kills-UNLV/xMz3EwM9L0Cs5LkjOg8ylQ.cspx

[Slot Machine]

Sad to hear. The canyon community is small, so it hits home for many of us.

My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

[Bo_Beck]

Very tragic and saddened to hear this. Also wishing to extend condolences to family and friends.

[Canyonater]

After the Iron room there is a spot where you make a sharp right u-turn behind the wall into a narrow slot. Apparently this is where it happened. As you come out into the open area it looks like down canyon is ahead of you (red arrow). But the green arrow is the correct path. 8084680847

[tanya]

:sad: