Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SANDY — The body of a man who fell in Bells Canyon and was swept away by the swift moving water and over the lower waterfall was recovered Tuesday after a dramatic effort by search and rescue crews.
Crews spotted Siaosi Brown's body Monday morning. But due to its position in the waterfall and the continuing rushing water, they could not get to it until Tuesday morning. Police say it was one of the most technical rescues Salt Lake County search and rescue crews have ever conducted.
Brown, 22, from Taylorsville, was hiking with two friends in Bells Canyon Sunday. He was above the first waterfall and attempting to cross a portion of the stream by jumping across it when he slipped, fell in and was swept away. His body was caught in boulders, logs and other debris rescuers couldn't even see in the middle of the lower falls, said Unified Police Lt. Brian Lohrke.
Fast-melting snow due to warm temperatures prevented crews from recovering Brown's body on Monday. Their plan was to return Tuesday morning when the water flow was supposed to be slower. But Lohrke said when the helicopter dropped off about 20 search and rescue team members Tuesday, they discovered that the snow melt had not slowed overnight.
"It was just like when they had stopped yesterday afternoon," he said. "But the rescuers didn’t let that hold them down."
Running out of options, Lohrke said crews made an "on-the-fly" decision on how to reach Brown.
"With the water flow the way it was, it was coming down on the rescuers pretty hard," he said. "They made a human shield of rescuers to shield the other rescuers from the water while they were able to get Mr. Brown out of that stuck location."
A big thank you to @UtahDPSpic.twitter.com/Wo55PI6izy
— Brian Lohrke (@LtLohrke) June 6, 2017
After pulling Brown's body out of the water just after 9 a.m., a helicopter took it to a landing zone in a church parking lot near 9800 South and 3100 East where a large number of family members had gathered.
Lohrke said the family later released a statement, thanking the recovery crews.
"They see what everyone is doing for them and appreciate it all, but they are grieving," he said.
The two-day effort to recover Brown's body brought both a feeling of relief that rescuers were able to get him, but also sorrow as the grief process is now beginning, Lohrke said.
A GoFundMe account set up Monday by the Kansas Wichita Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints noted that Brown "was an outstanding missionary, a remarkable mission leader, and a true friend to all of us. He had a great vision of the Lord's work and now has the opportunity to continue doing missionary work in the spirit world. I'm sure he is fully engaged and extremely happy as he teaches and testifies of the Atonement and the great plan of happiness to those precious spirits who are in prison and have long awaited his foreordained arrival."
