Date of Event: 7/5/2013

Canyon involved: Heaps

Region: Zion National Park, Utah

Country: USA

Submitted by: Dave Nally

Source: Deaths & Rescues in Zion National Park” by Dave Nally

Injury: Psychological

Cause: Navigation error, Weather, Darkness

Description of Event: Three men set out on Friday (7/5), intending to canyoneer through Heaps the following day. They did not make it through the canyon on Saturday. On Sunday, after failing to show up, family members reported them overdue to the park service. Rangers immediately began to monitor the canyon exit. Due to thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon, rangers were unable to fly a reconnaissance flight, but began to plan a search for Monday morning.

The three men spent most of Sunday in a large pothole, stopped by a 30-foot-tall obstacle. On Monday morning, they climbed 100 feet up to a bench above the floor of the canyon, to await rescue. During one of the helitack’s search flights, rangers spotted the trio on the bench above the canyon. Ranger/medic Tim Hearns was inserted into the canyon by short-haul, via the helicopter, to assess injuries, and then the canyoneers were extracted one by one.

Later the party reported that they had reached what they thought was a “dead-end” in the canyon early on Saturday afternoon (not recognizing that conditions change dramatically from year to year, depending on floods and water levels). The group did not realize that they were still in Heaps Canyon, blocked by a deep “keeper pothole.”

Analysis:

  • Heaps Canyon becomes extremely difficult when the water level drops, and dozens of potholes become keeper potholes. Escaping these keepers often requires the use of advanced canyoneering techniques and specialized equipment.

  • Accurate information on a canyon and a thoughtful assessment of the group’s abilities are critical for being able plan a descent. The group must fully understand the times, distances, effort, gear and skills required to safely descend a particular canyon.