Zion National Park Fatality Name Released
SPRINGDALE, UTAH – July 14, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – The identity of a hiker who fell and died in Zion National Park over the weekend has been released.
Officials said Brian Artmann, 24, of Henderson, NV, died Saturday after attempting to complete Heaps Canyon with three fellow canyoneers. Artmann fell nearly 100 feet at approximately 7 p.m. Saturday. Due to the remoteness of the area, his companions were unable to get fully out of the canyon and notify the park until almost 11:30 p.m.
Heaps Canyon is a strenuous, challenging, technical canyon with an approximate 3,000 foot descent. It usually takes 12 to 20 hours to complete, consists of a number of rappels into cold water, and ends with a final 280 foot rappel to the Upper Emerald Pool area. Officials said from interviews with the other canyoneers, the group thought they were at the section of the canyon that requires some scrambling to the next set of anchors. Artmann was unroped at the time of the accident.
A helicopter crew from Grand Canyon assisted with the rescue turned recovery Sunday morning. A search and rescue team of sixteen rangers, technical rescuers, and helicopter crew members contributed to the recovery
