Kane County Search and Rescue Find One of Their Own Deceased on Cedar Mountain
KANE COUNTY, UTAH – June 16, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) — Members of Utah’s search and rescue community are mourning the loss of one of their own.
Doug Fulkerson, 46, a full time resident of Cedar Mountain and a member of the Kane County Search and Rescue Team, fell to his death Sunday while hiking near Strawberry Point Lookout.
According to the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, Fulkerson was riding ATVs with a friend when he stopped near a canyon rim to seemingly admire the view. The friend told investigators Fulkerson then crouched as though he was going to jump onto a large rock when he suddenly disappeared from view.
Fulkerson’s friend was able to call the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, who used a helicopter to find Fulkerson’s body on a small ledge about 35 feet below the rock that he’d been crouching on.
“They observed Mr. Fulkerson for a time and based on their observation, it appeared that he was deceased,” explained the Kane County Sheriff’s Office. Kane County Search and Rescue was activated and began to assemble a recovery rescue team to respond to the area. For the safety the the rescuers the recovery operation was suspended until Monday morning.
At 9 a.m. Monday search and rescue personnel began setting up a complex rope recovery system to remove Fulkerson’s body from the ledge. He was then transported to the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office in Salt Lake City.
The Kane County Sheriff’s Office stated that, “Everyone extends their sympathy to the Fulkerson family. Doug was a long time, well known resident of the Cedar Mountain community, as well as a member of Kane County Search and Rescue. He will be missed by those who knew him.”
Thanks to the volunteers of the Kane County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue who worked in a safe and professional manner in a very difficult and emotional situation.
