SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah, May 22, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Unified Police officials have identified the man who suffered a fatal fall Saturday morning while preparing for a rock climb on Mount Olympus.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of 54-year-old James Roache,” the UPD tweet says.
“Mr. Roache died this morning from injuries he sustained from a 100-foot fall on Mount Olympus. He and a friend were preparing to do a rock climb when James slipped off of the ledge and fell.”
Authorities were notified at 9 a.m. Saturday of a rock climber who had fallen, said Detective Ken Hansen, Unified Police Department.
“He and his friend were going rock climbing on the west face of Mount Olympus,” Hansen said. “They were about halfway up. As one climber was preparing to get his equipment on, he fell and landed in a crevasse. It was a significant fall, and his head landed on rock. It was all rock.”
Search crews were lowered in by Life Flight and Department of Public Safety helicopters, and confirmed the victim was deceased. They flew out his male climbing partner, as it was obvious the victim’s recovery would take some time, Hansen said.
The victim, now identified as Roache, died of head injuries, Hansen told Gephardt Daily.
“It’s just a tragic accident,” Hansen said.
Roache’s body was the second to be recovered from northern Utah mountains in the past day. The first was that of 31-year-old Brent Rane, whose remains were found Friday morning after he he failed to return from a hike Thursday in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Gephardt Daily will have more information as it is made available.
