Keyhole flash flood deaths

Terrible week for Zions area. heart sick.

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ZION NATIONAL PARK -- A fourth body was recovered in Zion National Park after a party of seven got caught in flash flooding while canyoneering Monday evening. There are three still missing as of Tuesday night.

The group was in Keyhole Canyon when .63 inches of rain fell between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., said Aly Baltrus, spokeswoman at the park. Keyhole Canyon is a short, narrow slot canyon located on the east side of the park.

Rangers received a report of the group canyoneering in the canyon shortly before the flooding began. It was determined the group had not come out of the canyon when crews found their unoccupied cars at the trailhead Monday evening, according to park officials. A search began for the party Tuesday morning.

"As search continues for the missing hikers, high water levels and continued rain showers pose further flash flooding concerns and have hampered searchers' access to the technical portions of the canyoneering route," officials say.

Search and rescue crews are waiting for weather to clear before entering the canyon.

There were four men and three women canyoneering. Baltrus said those in the party were in their 40s and 50s and were from the California and Nevada areas. Names of the victims will not be released until next of kin has been notified.

A permit is required to enter Keyhole Canyon. Park officials say hikers must complete several short rappels under 30 feet and swim through several pools of water to get through it.

This is the second deadly flooding in southern Utah. Twelve bodies and one person is missing after a family was swept away in flash flooding in Hildale Monday evening. Three people were rescued.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flooding warning For southeastern Washington County along with southwestern Kane County. The warning will remain effect until 7:15 p.m.

“The Hildale drainage is currently saturated and additional rainfall is expected,” according to NWS.

The warning is warranted due to the combination to light to moderate rainfall and the fact there is a search and rescue operation ongoing in the drainage.
More information will be provided as it becomes available.


http://fox13now.com/2015/09/15/2-dea...lash-flooding/

There is no excuse for getting caught in a flash flood in Keyhole as you have complete visual access to the entire drainage.

Agreed.
Comment in the SLC Trib said "In Zion, the group picked up a permit about 7:30 a.m. Monday for four men and three women from California and Nevada, Baltrus said. Rangers warned that the flash flood danger was "probable," but the group apparently took the permit anyway, "

http://www.sltrib.com/home/2953891-1...dead-5-missing

I figured with the Hilldale flash flood, that we would hear about more rescues in the area.

First fatality(ies) in Keyhole.

I offer my condolences to the family. It's very tragic.

Thanks for posting the news CanyonHawks.


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Does anyone know what the NOAA whether forecast for that day was? Just wondering, since often I see something like 30% chance of rain in the afternoon, and rangers mark it as "probable"

Another article with extra info:
https://kutv.com/news/local/2-dead-i...others-missing

Edit: KSL updated it to 3 bodies recovered and 4 missing. My stomach is literally sick thinking about these floods.
@Bo_Beck, I'm sure he will fill us in the coming days once SAR completes.

Comments from the rangers are but one factor I use to make decisions to enter canyons. What really helps me is watching weather patterns and forecasts for several days prior to my trips and what Ice said, looking up in the sky. Yesterday and today would have been hiking/ photo days for me, not canyon days.

I will say that Keyhole has a certain al"lure" to it, like a fishing lure that can catch and kill you. I think some could get a false sense of security because the drainage is so small and the canyon so short. When in a canyon, one of the best reminders of potential water levels in a flash flood is to look up and notice the logs wedged 10 to 30 to 50 feet above you. Humbling, really.

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/6965869.jpg

ZION NATIONAL PARK — Officials confirmed three people were killed by flash flooding in Zion National Park and four are missing.

The flooding occurred Monday afternoon after the area received .63 inches of rain between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., according to Zion National Park public information officer Aly Baltrus. Rangers received reports of a group of seven people canyoneering in Keyhole Canyon before the flooding occurred. Their vehicles were located Monday evening and a search was launched Tuesday morning.

The bodies of the three of the victims were discovered at the east side of Keyhole Canyon, Baltrus said. Four people are still overdue.

High water levels and continued rain showers posed further flash flooding concerns and hampered the efforts of search and rescue teams Tuesday afternoon.

Keyhole Canyon is a short, slot canyon located on the east side of Zion National Park. The canyon is quite popular with canyoneers and takes one to two hours to traverse. It requires a permit and features several technical elements, including a 30-foot rappel and swimming through several pools.

The flooding on Monday and Tuesday also claimed the lives of 12 people in Hildale and Colorado City by 3:30 p.m. A flash flood carried away two vehicles with three women and 13 children inside.

The victims in both flash floods have not yet been identified, pending family notification. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

https://www.ksl.com/?sid=36536605&nid=148&fm=most_popular&s_cid=popula r-1

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nkanarik

Does anyone know what the NOAA whether forecast for that day was? Just wondering, since often I see something like 30% chance of rain in the afternoon, and rangers mark it as "probable"

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Flash flood forecast was moderate for the day. Below is the definition of moderate and I would say this met the definition.

I remember a couple years ago the guys caught in Spry flash flood complained that it was only a moderate warning. Buy the flash flood was localized to Spry and Lodge.

MODERATE: LOCALIZED SLOT CANYONS...DRY WASHES AND SMALL STREAMS MAY
EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING

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Skies were blue as can be up canyon above the drainage when they were at the first rappel, that's when I passed the group. 10-15 minutes later it was flooding. You can't see to the south where the clouds were coming from in that location. It came in very fast and they were moving very slowly. With that said, If I had a big group and I couldn't get through the lower section in less than 10 minutes, no way I would of continued.

For several days the forecast has been calling for heavy rain in Utah yesterday thru tomorrow. Why go? Sad story and a stupid way to go.

Also why did they go in the afternoon? If they picked up the permit in the morning they should have been in and out by then, most heavy rains come later in the day. Not saying I would have gone at all with that kind of forcast, but I sure as heck wouldn't have done it later in the day.

Wow, in keyhole nonetheless.

For us folks who live in Utah, it's easy enough to say "We'll hit it next time". But I wonder where these people were from. You can see the warnings of high probability for flash floods like my group did this year, and the canyons remain the driest we've ever seen.

It sure is a kick in the teeth to save up all year for a once in a lifetime trip, maybe even from another country, make the hard decision to pass on a canyon because of flood warnings, and go home knowing that there wasn't a drop of water that fell in the canyon the whole time.

Sure it's better than dying, but it can truly be a tough call when you've anticipated it all year just to flip a coin and pass on it.

Maybe this was their first and only planned trip to zion, ever.

With those circumstances, I can fully sympathize with the decision to take the chance. For us Utes, it's easier to delay and plan for next year.

That sucks.

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Word is that this group is from California. I have a CA hiking acquaintance who is worried that these may all be friends of hers (she hasn't heard back yet).

Latest news: a fourth body has been found. Oh, this is heartbreaking.

http://www.wtoc.com/story/30034958/t...-national-park

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Originally Posted by SLCmntjunkie

Skies were blue as can be up canyon above the drainage when they were at the first rappel, that's when I passed the group. 10-15 minutes later it was flooding. You can't see to the south where the clouds were coming from in that location. It came in very fast and they were moving very slowly. With that said, If I had a big group and I couldn't get through the lower section in less than 10 minutes, no way I would of continued.

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Wait were you in Keyhole with this group yesterday?!


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by villainousturtle

Wait were you in Keyhole with this group yesterday?!

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Yep, more details. So, you were exiting as they were entering? You saw the rain coming and couldn't warn them or notify the ranger on the east entrance? I'm not second-guessing you, just interested in your story.

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Originally Posted by Glenn

or notify the ranger on the east entrance?

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What good would telling the ranger do? By the time you drove to the east entrance it would all be over. And what exactly is the ranger supposed to do? Even if he is on site the ranger can't do much, most of them don't have the canyoneering skills of your typical experienced canyoneer and they don't pack all their gear all the time.

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There is no excuse for getting caught in a flash flood in Keyhole as you have complete visual access to the entire drainage.

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Some of the inexperienced parties in there take 3-5 hours to get through. I've heard people say that

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Wow, in keyhole nonetheless.

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Keyhole is a "small drainage", but all slot canyons are dangerous during flash floods.

On a different note, my guess is that the most potentially dangerous canyons for flash floods are Buckskin Gulch, Pine Creek (Zion), and the Black Hole. All of them are also considered "beginner canyons", at least from a technical standpoint.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scott P

Some of the inexperienced parties in there take 3-5 hours to get through.

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Anyone with moderate canyoneering skills can do the technical section of Keyhole in under 10 minutes.

And there is a nice escape between the upper scramble section and the lower tech section.

I hate to say this with the recent tragedy, but the only reason for a death in Keyhole is lack of commonsense.