Yankee Doodle Death - 12/16/15

[jman]

Just read this on KSL:

Man dies after falling in Yankee Doodle Canyon
https://ksl.com/?sid=37798682

Sad deal :(

I'm sure we will hear more.


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[accadacca]

LEEDS, Washington County — A man in his 20s died Wednesday after falling about 40 feet in Yankee Doodle Canyon, officials said.

The man — whose identity has not been released — was with three others in their 20s when the incident occurred. The others are OK, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

The victim's friends reported the fall around 4 p.m., according to Darrell Cashin, search and rescue liaison for the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

One of the friends led two medics and some search and rescue members to where the victim was. The medics found the victim was deceased.

Cashin said the victim and his friends were canyoneering, and he slipped.

Search and rescue crews are setting up a 600-foot high-angle rope to hoist the man's body out of the canyon. Hurricane Valley fire officials and a Washington County Sheriff's Office sergeant also responded to the scene.

The rescuers are working in 33-degree weather, and the sergeant on-scene will bring the victim's friends out of the canyon.

More details will be posted as they become available.

[jman]

After thinking some more on the possible location until we here more, there is a 40ft rap if done on the "south prong".

It meets up 20ft near the bottom of the 1st rap in the "normal route" aka "west prong".

In the watercourse following the south prong, you come to a dryfall and fairly deep keeper pothole.

Most people avoid the pothole and climb on the exposed ledge LDC for 10-15ft and clip into some anchors for a 40ft rap into the trees below.

When I get home from work, I'll locate a few pics of this area. But from the sounds of it, it doesn't sound like a lot of people do the south prong.

And the 600ft lift-hoist from where the road is down to the bottom of the 1st rap is very possible.

My speculation is where this occurred. And if there was snow/ice at that specific anchor point, I could see a fall happening. There is exposure until you can get yourself anchored in.

And I HIGHLY doubt this happened at the exit.

Again, my speculation.


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[Sombeech]

Oh dang, do we know anybody down South right now?

[Iceaxe]

My best guess.... the 40' drop where the accident happened is probably one of the 15' downclimbs in the slot and the 40' number is typical media exaggeration... that's just a guess.
I believe Yankee Doodle conditions currently includes snow and mud.

[Bo_Beck]

Oh dang, do we know anybody down South right now?

The accident happened near Boltergeist. The persons were downclimbing into the canyon somewhere near the popular canyoneering route. I do know one person who was a good friend of the deceased, and I had met the victim as well.

[2065toyota]

You can downclimb the entire boltergiest canyon by getting out of the watercourse at the raps. Not the fun way down, and it is a little sketchy even in good conditions

[jman]

Ahh...media mistake.

Thanks Bo for the information.

Boltergeist makes sense now as Toyota pointed out with the down-climbs.

Again, to those who know the party and deceased - our sympathy goes out to you. Losing one of our own is extremely hard.


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[Iceaxe]

Kelvin Curtis, of St. George, has been identified as the 25-year-old man who died while canyoneering Boltergeist near Yankee Doodle Canyon. Curtis slipped and fell about 40 feet while canyoneering with his friends Wednesday.

For anyone interested here is a video of Boltergeist Canyon courtesy of Gary Arnell.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BHy9S3DQGY

[Iceaxe]

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man killed Wednesday in a fall near Silver Reef.

Kelvin Curtis, 25, of St. George died Wednesday afternoon after falling about 40 feet into a canyon identified as Boltergeist, near Yankee Doodle Canyon in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.

Sheriff’s Deputy Darrell Cashin, who oversees Search and Rescue volunteers, said Curtis had been canyoneering with three other people in the area when he fell.

Life Flight responded to assist Hurricane Valley Emergency Medical Services personnel who accompanied Curtis’ companions on a 15- to 20-minute hike back into the area from an access point on Danish Ranch Road, about 5 miles from Silver Reef.

But once responders determined Curtis had died, LifeFlight was called off and Search and Rescue’s high-angle team set up equipment to recover the body during a night climb that involved a 600-foot raise up the cliffs where the quartet had been adventuring, Cashin said.

Curtis was a Dixie State University student who graduated earlier this year with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in chemistry, according to his online social media profiles.

Aaron Metler, the St. George City Recreation coordinator for Races and Special Events, said Curtis was one of the division’s employees and was working toward becoming a dentist.

“We’ve had a rough couple of days since we got the news,” Metler said. “He did a lot for us. … He kind of felt like a brother / family member to us. He was always happy and in a good mood, and he brought that to work with him. He inspired our staff to be in a good mood.”

Curtis was a runner who was climbing with members of Dixie State’s cross-country team, Metler said.

In 2013, the year after he enrolled at Dixie State, Curtis began volunteering with the city’s events because he needed to show volunteer hours to get into dental school.

“And then he became great friends with us. He was a great worker,” Metler said.

Curtis hired on with city races and events “because he liked people,” Metler said.

Curtis’ online profile states, “I am looking for volunteering and service opportunities. I enjoy helping people and seeing the happiness it brings into their lives. I enjoy working in well designed teams in which we can all add our expertise and get a lot of work done.”

During the summer, he and other companions traveled from Mexico into Central America where his activities included “spelunking (in caves) where the Mayan priests used to go to use hallucinogens and sacrifice people.”

He was a Spanish speaker who used his spring break in 2013 to help provide dental services in Nicaragua.

He graduated from Monticello High School in Southeast Utah in 2008, served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the New York City area, and studied at Snow College before coming to Dixie State.

Between 2008 and 2014, he also worked as a timber crew member for the U.S. Forest Service, managing the observation of trees killed by beetles and doing other tree survey work, according to his online profile.

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/aca15f028d54a86fdaa8f3b6acccfd349acdf80f/c=0-22-180-157&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2015/12/18/StGeorge/StGeorge/635860507726039941-Kelvin-Curtis.jpg

[jman]

Oh man...

sounded like a great guy!


Thanks for the update Shane.