Girl's family wants barrier built near Bridal Veil Falls

[Iceaxe]

Girl's family wants barrier built near Bridal Veil Falls
By Steve Gehrke - The Salt Lake Tribune

Nine-year-old Caitlin Buchowski drowned last month during a family vacation after she slipped from the shores of the Provo River near Bridal Veil Falls and was swept downstream by the swift current.

Although children are known to play in a waterfall area near the river, Caitlin's aunt, Anita Magriplis, called it "extremely dangerous." She said her niece would have wanted to protect other children from being swept away by the swift water.

"I just don't want this to happen again," Magriplis said.

Now the Colorado girl's family wants to work with Provo Parks and Recreation to raise money and get a barrier built with a plaque remembering the child. Caitlin was on vacation with her aunt and cousins, who were preparing to head up from Bridal Veil Falls to Stuart Falls. The girl was on her way to get her 20-year-old cousin and tell her the family was ready to leave when she slipped and fell into the river, Magriplis said.

"The next thing I heard was my niece screaming that Catie was in the water," Magriplis said. "It was just a tragic accident. By the time she had reached for her, Catie was just gone."

Magriplis jumped in the river and tried to push Caitlin across to the other shore, but she said the force of the water was too much. It even started to wash away her 250-pound boyfriend.

"I actually grabbed her; I had her a short time," Magriplis said, adding that she got beat up while trying to lift Caitlin's head above water using her knee and thigh. "But we were moving downstream faster than everyone could run. I don't know if I got tired or she just got out of my grasp, but I let her go. I'm just devastated."

Some bystanders eventually coaxed Magriplis from the water. She said she is grateful that they saved her life because at the time she wasn't planning to leave the water without Caitlin.

"I realize now that diving in was not the safest thing to do, but I would have given my life for that sweet soul," Magriplis said. "Words cannot express the heavy loss of our sweet Caitlin. She was an inspiration to every person who knew or even met her."

A representative with Provo City Parks and Recreation was not available for immediate comment Tuesday.

How to help
A memorial account has been set up in Caitlin Buchowski's name at Wells Fargo. Proceeds from that fund will help pay for Caitlin's funeral costs. The "Coins for Caitlin" fundraiser will help build a barrier at the banks of the Provo River near Bridal Veil Falls.

[Iceaxe]

Permits for Angel's Landing? Barrier's at Bridal Veil Falls?

[Sombeech]

Would this barrier actually restrict people from playing in the falls, or would it be just a "warning" barrier?

Truly a tragic story, but the correct reaction shouldn't be to restrict the tens, maybe hundreds of thousands who have and will enjoy this landmark safely.

[ilanimaka]

From the sound of it, it only restricts people's access to the river from the falls. I would actually be for something like that.

[asdf]

Pretty good idea.
There is about a 100 yard section along the river trail near the base of the falls that has a very steep 10-15' incline directly into a rapid flowing section of the river. On weekends with large groups of gawkers and river trail traffic it can get quite congested next to this drop.

If the city was smart they would enforce the speed/lane/helmet laws they created for the river trail, they could pay for the wall in a few weeks worth of tickets.

This attached photo shows about 1/3 of the area I am referring to... black box would be my guess on the location of the wall.

[Sombeech]

ah, I see.

[DiscGo]

No offense to this girl or her family but people should just be more careful. You just can't expect every possible danger to be regulated and blocked off. I don't know if you guys ever read the book "How to be Perfect is Just 3 Days" (Spoiler Alert) but the whole message was that the only way to be perfect was to never do anything because then you couldn't fail. I feel like that his what our society is leaning towards.

[asdf]

No offense to this girl or her family but people should just be more careful.

Dan,
Take the fam up there on a Saturday afternoon, once you get beyond the gantlet of emo long boarders you will see what I am talking about.

[Deathcricket]

No offense to this girl or her family but people should just be more careful. You just can't expect every possible danger to be regulated and blocked off. I don't know if you guys ever read the book "How to be Perfect is Just 3 Days" (Spoiler Alert) but the whole message was that the only way to be perfect was to never do anything because then you couldn't fail. I feel like that his what our society is leaning towards.

I'm with you Discgo! But..... I have not seen the place either. So I can at least reserve judgment till that happens. I doubt it would change my mind however. We can't put a fence around every river and cliff at every place. Natural selection is a "B" and will still find ways to pick some of us off no matter what we do. Even by doing "nothing" as your book suggests we will still get fat and have a heart attack from clogged arteries. natural selection can still get ya from the couch in a perfectly safe padded environment.

[Reedus]

I am leaning towards the "put up the fence crowd" I have been on that trail numerous times and on weekends it is pretty crowded with families and young kids. It wouldn't hurt to put up some sort of barrier the keep the little ones back from the river. Being a parent of young kids, I know how easy it is to get distracted for just a second and a second is all it takes. Hell, they put up barriers all over our highways for the same purpose.

[R]

I guess the question then becomes "how often does this happen?" If 5, 10, 25 people a year are dying or being injured, it might be time for some measures. If this is an isolated incident, it is premature and presumptuous to act.

[savanna3313]

It's always been a rather dangerous area. Back in the 70s when we were out here on a family vacation, my sister (who was 12 at the time) was lucky that my father and his friend were right there when she fell in. She was propelled against a rock which stopped her from being washed further down the river.

[DiscGo]

I have grown up in Provo. I have been to Bridal Veil about a million and half times (over statement of course, but I am very familiar with it). I'm all for ticketing the long boarders that clog the walking path, if we need need more room for pedestrians but in the end I believe that it is people who are responsible for their own safety. Most people who die up Bridal Veil are ice climbers (I have not stats for that, I am just going off of stories I have heard over the years). Should we place a rail going right up the falls for them? I don't mean to sound heartless. I am very sorry for that family's loss. But this is not a normal occurrence. It is not a innately dangerous area and I think we just need to be more aware when we are outdoors of the need to watch our children and instruct them of the dangers.

[asdf]

I have grown up in Provo. I have been to Bridal Veil about a million and half times (over statement of course, but I am very familiar with it).

Pretty shocked at your response to this one Dan. We are talking about a 12' wide paved trail that of a busy weekend can see 50-100 people passing by every hour. Its right off a major high (500 yards tops) and one small steep off the side can easily result in death. There are hundreds of yards of log fence just above and below the falls and we are talking about one gap in the fence conveniently in the most sketchy area.

But this is not a normal occurrence. It is not a innately dangerous area and I think we just need to be more aware when we are outdoors of the need to watch our children and instruct them of the dangers.

Not everyone is like us.... I bet most people that visit the falls consider that a hike and one of only a few they do every year.

[DiscGo]

Yeah, I guess you are right Bill. I am coming across pretty heartless. I want people to be safe. There is no way to say this without sounding judgmental but I feel like people should just watch their children and not count on everyone else baby-proofing the world for them.

[tumblingwings]

I agree with discgo on this! I have been there many times. Had an eight year old down there a few weeks ago. But I never let him out of my sight, or to far away from me. But I also agree that somebody needs to be there to enforce the boarders and cyclists that do not get off of their toys and walk them through the area posted as walking only.

[erial]

for safe thrills, there's always amusement parks:

http://www.rideaccidents.com/

[Sombeech]

[Sombeech]

I say that, because not all people who go up there are small children.

There will be times where only a couple of adults are up there, and they've got this barrier there.

Place the responsibility on the public, let them choose to keep their children safe. I see the barrier as a way to let the kids roam free, and possibly even wander out of site because there's "no" worry of them getting in the river now.

I'd love my boy to see this, but I'd either be holding his hand the whole time, or he'd be in the camera frame.

[asdf]

I do understand what you guys are saying but this is more like rails on a foot bridge then chains and permits on angles landing. If my kids are going to run across a bridge I am obviously going to pay more attention if their are no railings.

This is a high traffic tourist spot off a highway...Other notable view points with small barriers.

Dead Horse Point
Provo River Falls
Grand Canyon