This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A California man died Sunday afternoon during a fall while climbing in Zion National Park.
Christopher H. Spencer, 47, of San Jose, Calif., was with a fellow climber when they started "Iron Messiah," a difficult 5.10 climb in Zion Canyon. The pair was on an approach pitch in easy fifth class terrain when the climber apparently fell backward, tumbling approximately 80 feet down the steep slope, striking a series of ledges, according to a park news release. The cause was under investigation by the Washington County Sheriff's Office in cooperation with the National Park Service.
Spencer was not roped in and was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
Rangers were notified at about 11 a.m., and park medics reached Spencer by noon.
The medics and a requested helicopter medical crew stabilized Spencer during the nearly three-hour evacuation. He was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center where he died.
This is the fourth fatal accident in the park in 2014 and the eighth climbing fatality since 1983, park officials reported.
The Salt Lake Tribune