SPRINGVILLE, California, Aug. 25, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A Utah man and two canyoneering friends are dead after a triple drowning in southern California.
Cyndi Miller, sister to David Bell, has confirmed her brother drowned Saturday while trying to save two friends, whom she identified as Utahn Jeannine Skinner and Peter On, whose state of residence was not confirmed.
“David Bell passed away due to drowning tonight,” Miller said in a Saturday Facebook post.
“He was rappelling in the Sierra Nevada’s in a place called Seven Teacups. They were on the very last of their rappel and they rappelled into a small pool of water. Jeannine Skinner, David’s friend rappelled into the pool of water and she got caught in a whirlpool. Another man, Peter On, jumped in to save her and they were both caught in the whirlpool.
“David jumped to save them and all THREE DROWNED.”
CPR was performed by other group members, “but they were not able to revive any of them,” Miller wrote.
A GoFundMe page was established for Bell.
“David Bell – a friend, son, brother, uncle, and an incredible human being we can’t imagine living without – died last night while canyoneering in the Sierra Nevadas,” the page says.
“On their very last rappel, a friend of his, Jeannine, got caught in a whirlpool after landing in a pool of water. Another man, Peter, jumped in to try to save her, but they both became trapped. Without hesitation, David leaped in to save them-and in the end, all three of them drowned. David and Peter are both heroes.”
American Fork’s Harrington Center for the Arts also wrote a tribute to Bell, a board member of the performance and events venue.
“There are not words to describe the pain of our loss,” the Center’s post says. “Our beloved son, brother, board member, and dear friend, David Bell died last night while canyoneering in the Sierra Nevadas.”
“David is a hero. David was a founding member of Harrington Center for the Arts and beyond his responsibilities as a board member, he also served on the visual arts committee, live music committee, and physical facilities committee.
“David brought joy to hundreds of thousands of runners through the races he organized at his company, Runtastic Events, and through the events at Harrington Center for the Arts. His unmatched creativity shaped every detail, knowing that his work was providing lasting memories for families and unforgettable moments of creativity and triumph as individuals reached new heights.
“David deeply cared about the community and giving back. Each of his 11 races supported a local charity, benefiting causes like cancer research, children with autism, mental health, veterans, youth athletics, and the arts. He helped set up every single event for Harrington Center for the Arts, often cleaning up into the early hours of the morning, and devoted thousands of hours to the designs for the renovation of the Harrington School. David has now crossed his final finish line.
“This week, live like David, love like David, and run for David.”
Runtastic Events event said it will dedicate its Sept. 7 NEBO race to Bell’s legacy, and invited people to share memories.
“This breaks my heart,” one friend wrote. “May his running shoes be in endless supply, the courses challenging and fun, and the medals all be epic when he finishes his heavenly races.”
Gephardt Daily will have more information on the drownings and the lives of Skinner and On as details are released.
Editor’s note: As in all cases, Gephardt Daily cannot guarantee GoFundMe donations will be used in the manner stated.
