Keyhole flash flood deaths

[accadacca]

7th body located after flooding in Zion

ZION NATIONAL PARK — The body of a seventh hiker was found by search and rescue teams in Zion National Park Thursday, making it the 19th death caused by Monday's flash flooding.

All seven of the deceased hikers were part of the same group that began canyoneering in the area a short time before flooding started around 4:30 p.m. Monday, according to Zion National Park spokeswoman Aly Baltrus. Nearly three-quarters of an inch of rain fell inside the national park within an hour.

The four-man, three-woman group set off in the park on Monday to go canyoneering in Keyhole Canyon. Six members of the group were from California and one was from Nevada and all were in their 40s and 50s, Baltrus said. The identities of the seven victims have not yet been released by park officials, pending notification of family members.

However, the Ventura (California) County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday that one of those killed in Zion National Park was sheriff's Sgt. Steve Arthur. The sheriff's office said Arthur's wife, Linda Arthur, was among the group, but Zion National Park officials haven't confirmed if she was the victim recovered Thursday.

Search and rescue efforts were hampered Tuesday and Wednesday by the continuing rain and dangerous flooding conditions in the canyon, officials said. Keyhole Canyon is a technical slot canyon, meaning climbing gear is needed. The canyon, located on the east end of the park near the border of Washington and Kane counties, has three parts and involves swimming through several pools and a 30-foot rappelling section.

About 45 miles away, a second search continued for a 6-year-old boy who was swept away in a flash flood in Hildale from the same Monday rainstorm. The bodies of nine children and three mothers in that tragedy were recovered Monday and Tuesday.
More information will be posted as it becomes available.



http://www.ksl.com/?sid=36562194&nid...s_cid=topstory

[accadacca]

I'm kinda wondering if 7 deaths is a record?

What have been the worse flash floods on record in slot canyons?

[Iceaxe]

It's 19 flash flood death's from that storm and yes it was a Utah record. 12 was the old record.

[villainousturtle]

I'm kinda wondering if 7 deaths is a record?

What have been the worse flash floods on record in slot canyons?

11 died in Lower Antelope slot in 1997. So keyhole is not a slot canyon death record.


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[Glenn]

I'm kinda wondering if 7 deaths is a record?

What have been the worse flash floods on record in slot canyons?

This is the worst death toll in Zion for sure. Five persons died in the 1961 flood in the Narrows.

Unfortunately, the total toll will be twenty persons (including the one missing boy from Hilldale). Worst natural disaster in Utah history, I think.

[Glenn]

Final victim, Linda Arthur, was found in Pine Creek, just after the last rap.
Video of the recovery:
http://www.therepublic.com/view/vide...150917cr_x070a

[nelsonccc]

So the final body was found below Pine creek? That's quite a bit away from Keyhole. Crazy. I also read somewhere that the next day after the flood there was a group going through Keyhole and they found the second body. That's quite the path between Keyhole and Pine.

[Iceaxe]

Are you looking for the Utah record? US record? Or international record?

Antelope Canyon is in Arizona.

In 1999 eighteen canyoneers died is a flash flood in the Swiss Alps. If I remember correctly it was a guided group.

[Scott P]

Worst natural disaster in Utah history, I think.

No. Avalanches have killed more than that during the mining days. The miners around Alta cut down all the trees, which made the avalanche danger worse. In 1865, 65 people (some sources say 64) were killed by an avalanche that hit Alta. Avalanche deaths were common at Alta. During the 14 year silver boom in the 1800's, at least 143 people were lost to avalanches at Alta. Between 1865 and 1915, about 250 people were killed by avalanches at Alta.

Other than Alta, in Bingham Canyon (near the present day copper mine), one avalanche killed 36 on February 17 1926.

As far as flash floods in Utah, the old record for a single location may (?) have been seven at Sheep Creek near Flaming Gorge. Seven died in one flash flood in 1965. It's not a slot canyon though, in fact they were at a campground.

I'm not sure where the 12 were that Shane mentions. The seven killed in Sheep Creek is mentioned in my weather almanac for Utah, but it doesn't say that the seven is a record.

[Iceaxe]

It looks like those killed in Keyhole were part of a SoCal based MeetUp group. Below is a link to their page.

VHC Hiking Enthusiasts
http://www.meetup.com/HikeItUp/

The owner of the group of over 1000 members was one of the victims.

[Sombeech]

Oh wow, here are the 7.


| Courtesy Zion National Park Portrait of the group standing before the first rappel of Keyhole Canyon on Monday, September 14, 2015. Photographed from left to right: Gary Favela, Don Teichner, Muku Reynolds, Steve Arthur, Linda Arthur, Robin Brum, and Mark MacKenzie.

Their identities were released late Thursday by park personnel. Six of them were from California: Mark MacKenzie, 56, of Valencia; Linda Arthur, 57, and her husband, Steve Arthur, 58, of Camarillo; Muku Reynolds, 59, of Chino; Robin Brum, 53, of Camarillo; and Gary Favela, 51, of Rancho Cucamonga.
The seventh victim who died in Monday's Keyhole Canyon tragedy was Don Teichner, 55, of Mesquite, Nev.

http://www.sltrib.com/home/2960471-1...r-last-of-zion

[villainousturtle]

There has to be someone who instructed the class out there. I'm curious if it was ZAC or similar. I'm sure that would be very sad news to hear the folks you'd just instructed had lost their lives.

In the picture posted of them (it was probably pulled from one of their soggy SD cards as it says they are above the first rap in Keyhole) they are clearly wearing the same blue pre-sewn rap station clip in slings that ZAC loans out. Also the white helmets with green squares are the ones ZAC rents as well. ZAC has been silent about this incident on their FB page. So I'm 99% that it was a ZAC class they took.



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[accadacca]

The group was last seen alive in the canyon when passed by other hikers, who then notified rangers that the seven may be in peril as the clouds burst about 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Zion National Park has a tragic past of flooding-related tragedies. Last year, a hiker drowned in the Narrows; in 2001, a 10-year-old boy died when he was washed away on the Canyon Overlook trail; in 1998, two hikers drowned in the Narrows; in 1993, two Scout leaders died in a flash flood in Kolob Canyon; and, in 1961, four Boy Scouts and their leader were killed in the Narrows.

[jman]

[QUOTE=Sombeech;572208]Oh wow, here are the 7.


| Courtesy Zion National Park Portrait of the group standing before the first rappel of Keyhole Canyon on Monday, September 14, 2015. Photographed from left to right: Gary Favela, Don Teichner, Muku Reynolds, Steve Arthur, Linda Arthur, Robin Brum, and Mark MacKenzie.


If this is the last known picture, you can see how wet the ground is already. The canyon might of have had a small flow while they did the middle section and was probably a hoot (for their first time). And then they reached this area before the raps, took their pic and headed down.

The technical section is just under 0.25 miles, and you can see how the lighting doesn't look too dark for a late-afternoon start. Then all within 15-20minutes, the storm hits and drops more than .5 inch of water in this localized drainage (710+ acres).............

One take away from this awful tragedy: the weather and skies ARE deceiving when it's cloudy.

It just amazes me; not their decision to do the slot canyon, but after doing Keyhole 15+ times in 8 years, I think most of us are familiar with Keyhole quite well. And I think we have all have thought about where they were trapped, imagining the water filling up, being incredibly loud with the amount of water crashing down, the yelling, the panic, etc. ...ugh...the 2nd rap (which I'm guessing they all weren't done rappelling), narrow corridors, etc. Gives me the chills...

I hope those who think they are invincible will give pause on the weather next time when they head out.


And next Saturday, I'm taking my brother and co-worker (first time through a slot canyon, first time rappelling) through Keyhole and some other beginner canyons and it will very sobering to travel through it...

[dougr]

Shocked and saddened, no doubt.

We'll have to start a new thread on the permit and/or training and/or closure restrictions that might be proposed because of this. I've said it before and I'll say it again, we need to civilly disobey the systematic closing off of our lands using cradle to grave safety coddling as a pretext.

[kiwi_outdoors]

This incident reminds me of my one big lesson from Avalanche Safety training. When planning a fun high-adventure trip; have an alternate trip, a Plan B, that will be an acceptable alternative. Absent a Plan B, you will likely proceed with Plan A even if it is not wise, due to your Group Dynamics (not wanting to dissapoint fellow trip mates, egging each other on, not wanting to look like a "chicken", etc.).

[hank moon]

If this is the last known picture, you can see how wet the ground is already. The canyon might of have had a small flow while they did the upper section and was probably a hoot (for their first time). And then they reached this area before the raps, took their pic and headed down.

FWIW this pic appears to have been taken just above the entry to middle Keyhole, not just before the raps (Lower Keyhole)

[jman]

FWIW this pic appears to have been taken just above the entry to middle Keyhole, not just before the raps (Lower Keyhole)

Edit: thanks for the correction.


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[VWSyncro]

That photo is shocking. It has really flat lighting; it must have been almost completely overcast. My mind has been mulling this over for the past couple of days wondering how it happened as I've never been in a flash flood but I've been in middle Echo when it started to rain.

Thinking about my experience of how I ended up in a rainy narrow slot: it was mid-morning, I knew there were escape routes by checking them out on the way up, knew we could go fast--and did end up BOOKING IT, had been canyoneering a couple years so our skills were decent, were a small group of 2, and we dropped in when it was actually sunny. And we had basically no fun b/c we focused on getting out of there--so there is was very little reward.

Why did everyone decide to go? No one changed their mind? There were red flags... How do 7 people all decide to do a canyon on a cloudy day, in the late afternoon, with a big group including some newbies, during Monsoon season? It makes me sick. Have I completely taken for granted my decision-making skills? I hope we eventually understand this better.

[villainousturtle]

Also, is the camera on a tripod or did someone else shoot this for them? If someone else shot it, was it the elusive forum member @SLCmntjunkie ? He said he passed them and then sped through the canyon in 10 minutes. He has to have more information that could illuminate this accident.


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