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SALT LAKE CITY — A Park City woman, injured while ice climbing Bridal Veil Falls last week, has died.
Meghan Arnold, 30, died about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, University Hospital spokesman Phil Sahm said. Arnold was taken by medical helicopter to the hospital Jan. 23 after falling approximately 30 feet.
She and a male companion were climbing in the popular "Stairway to Heaven" area in Provo Canyon when she fell. She was apparently trying to walk across a snow-covered terrace to put a top rope anchor on the lower section of the Bridal Veil Falls ice wall.
It is unclear whether she had slipped or the ice broke away, as other climbers reported brittle conditions. The man she was climbing with was hit by falling ice and suffered minor injuries, but was able to climb down.
Rescue teams from Provo and Utah County assisted in getting the two down from the bottom of the falls, about 350 feet from the ground. Arnold was not conscious when emergency crews arrived.
Meghan was a brilliant soul whose kind heart, vibrant personality and compassion have touched people in every corner of the world.
–Ron Arnold, father
Hospital officials said she sustained massive internal injuries as well as spinal trauma and head injury.
The woman's family announced Monday that they have set up a fund in her memory. Arnold had been pursuing her Ph.D. in public health from the University of Utah and her research in water and sanitation had helped those in Ghana, Peru and India. She was also an avid skier, biker, climber who loved the outdoors.
“Meghan was a brilliant soul whose kind heart, vibrant personality and compassion have touched people in every corner of the world,” her father, Ron Arnold, said. “To say she will be missed is an understatement.”
The fund has been set up at Key Bank under the name of “Meghan Arnold’s Smile.”
*KSL.com
