rappelThe Salt Lake Tribune reported Monday morning that a man, who is  a resident of Salt Lake, died Sunday after an accident in the mountains. He and some friends were enjoying a rope swing and rapelling trip at Day Canyon in Moab. The group had spent days putting the hardware for the swing in place and many others had both swung and rapelled using the apparatus from which the man fell. He was attached to a tandem swing with a female companion. After the swing the riders needed to rappel down to the floor of the canyon about two hundred feet below. The man got out of the swing first and as he took his feet out of the straps to rappel, he fell to the bottom of the canyon.

The location is about seven miles west of the highway and emergency facilities. Despite the quick response of several agencies, the man died as a result of his injuries. His companion was extracted from the swing unharmed. It is unclear as to what caused the experienced climber to fall.

The American Alpine Institute for Climbing says that rappelling is the most dangerous activity you can do while climbing. This is the third death that the Grand County Sheriff’s office has investigated this year alone. The Sheriff urges climbers and rappellers to use extreme caution.

We at Christensen & Hymas send our condolences to Weber’s family and friends.

Image courtesy of Christian Haugen and is not of the story above.