Woman killed after pushing Utah climber away from falling ice
DUCHESNE COUNTY, Utah (KTVX) — A 40-year-old woman is dead after pushing a fellow climber out of the way of a massive, falling ice column in Utah.
The woman, identified as Margrett O’Neill of Salt Lake City, was attempting to scale Raven Falls near Indian Canyon in northeastern Utah on Sunday with two other climbers, according to the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office.
As they were climbing, authorities say the ice column fractured and began falling toward the group.
“One climber pushed their fellow female climber, age 21, out of the way, which probably saved her life,” the sheriff’s office explained.
O’Neill then became trapped under two blocks of ice while a third climber, a 34-year-old man, fell roughly 40 feet down the icy edge.
The 21-year-old woman was able to climb down and contact emergency crews.
Authorities were able to find the man, who suffered serious injuries, and airlift him to an area hospital.
Initially, O’Neill was unaccounted for, the sheriff’s office reported Sunday. She wasn’t found until Monday afternoon.
“Unfortunately, the climber that pushed her fellow climber out of the way of the falling ice was trapped underneath two huge blocks of ice and did not survive,” deputies said Tuesday.
The sheriff’s office shared photos from the scene, below, showing the massive size of the ice column.
As of Wednesday, the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office didn’t have an update on the man’s condition.