2 hikers killed in fall near Bridal Veil Falls

UTAH COUNTY, Oct. 30, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — A 14-year-old boy who was visiting the U.S. from Japan died Saturday afternoon after falling near Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon, according to Utah County authorities. The teen’s 28-year-old hiking companion, Brandon I. Reas, of Provo, was missing overnight, but his body was found Sunday morning by a search and rescue team. Utah County Sheriff’s Office personnel and a Department of Public Safety helicopter team assisted in the search Saturday night.

Sgt. Spencer Cannon, spokesman for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, said the 14-year-old was identified as Kedi Chen, who was from China, but had been living in Nara, Japan, near Osaka. The youth had spent a couple of days in the U.S. before arriving in Utah on Saturday, the same day he died. He was in the U.S. as part of a short-term exchange program and was going to be in Utah for only a few days.

Brandon Reas and his family were hosting Kedi Chen while he was in Utah.

Cannon said search and rescue personnel located Reas’ body shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday at “the first level above the base of the falls,” which is a more technical area higher up toward the west side than where the teen’s body was found, indicating that the two were not together when they fell.

Reas’ wife and family members were notified of his death Sunday morning shortly after he was found. Cannon said that, because of the location, it would probably take several hours to recover the body.

Cannon told Gephardt Daily that several people found the teen around 6:48 p.m. Saturday at the base of the falls near the east side. They attempted to perform CPR, but were unable to revive him. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.

The area in which the two were hiking ranges from moderate to very technical, Cannon said. The base of the falls is a popular area for tourists as there is a trail — “a little steep, some loose stones maybe, but not treacherous.”

Higher up, where Reas was found, is a much more difficult area that is best approached with appropriate gear, Cannon said. Neither Reas nor the boy had equipment with them.

Tim Ellertson, a friend of Brandon Reas, told Gephardt Daily that he met Reas in the MBA program at the Utah Valley University this fall.

“He was an amazing guy,” Ellertson said, “full of life. He was married, with two children…He was a student, but was helping us with a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) study test that we’re doing in December, that he had already passed.”

Ellertson described Reas as “easy to connect with, a very outgoing guy, always willing to help.”

“We met through the (MBA) program, and he invited me to go to dinner one night. He kept inviting more people and it became a weekly thing,” he said.

Learning of Reas’ death was “mind-blowing, stunning,” Ellertson said. “But learning the details of the situation, it sounded so much like Brandon…to have a foreign student, going hiking. He loved meeting people, going to culture nights…he was a really special guy. He will be sorely missed.”