Fatality in Zion

Accidents and Incidents
1

Anyone have any details about the recent accident and fatality in Zion? Sounds like it was on the last rap of Heaps. The news reports I read said 200’ fall near Upper Emerald Pools.

2

(Moving this to a new accidents and incidents category, that seems a useful category to add)

I am also curious to know for sure that it was Heaps and what happened.

Link for about the only information I have found on it:

The comments seem to have a lot of conjecture as well, but no firm info.

3

More details:

4

That’s awful. Hopefully more details will become available so we can learn from it.

1 Like
5

Guessing no addition details emerged.

6

I haven’t found any more details.

7

Here is the report https://canyonaccident.org/heaps-2024-10-05/
I am a bit confused on a few on how the fireman failed and what conversation there is to be had on using a prusik on dry raps at all times.
Some interesting conversation going on here: Man falls to his death while rappelling in Zion National Park

8

There are lots of examples of fireman belays not working on really long rappels. I have never personally had one not work, but it does require a lot of extra force. There was a lot of differentiation between dry canyons vs wet canyons on that report.Dry, Utah style canyons have to be treated very different from class C style canyons like those found in the PNW and elsewhere. Some ropes, and devices are better or designed for certain environments. I bought a kong hydrobot (the device the victim was using) a couple years ago. I personally hated it. It’s pretty simple, but I couldn’t get it to provide enough friction for me to feel in control (I’m one of those 200+ canyoneers). Reading between the lines on the recommendations, it seems like that may have been a new device for him (total conjecture). That rap in heaps is for sure not the place to use a device you haven’t used a lot on similar raps. As for using a prusik on all dry raps, that is one of the great debates in the canyoneering community. Lots of good arguments on both sides. I personally do not use them much. Thanks for posting that report!