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MANTUA, Box Elder County — A man causing a disturbance at a campsite died Sunday after police say he ran from deputies and jumped 100 feet out of a tree.
Paul Howard, 49, was contacted by sheriff's deputies around 11:40 a.m. at the Lower Doc Flats camping area near Mantua. He was allegedly yelling and causing a disturbance to other campers at the time.
Box Elder County Sheriff Kevin Potter said witnesses reported Howard was "acting intoxicated."
Deputies found Howard on a mountainside and asked him to come down to speak with them. Ignoring their requests, Howard intentionally jumped out of a tree and fell into a ravine, said Box Elder County Sheriff's Lt. Jim Summerill. The fall was estimated by deputies to be 100 feet.
A search and rescue crew later recovered Howard's body from the ravine.
Police haven't ruled Howard's death a suicide and the intent of his jump was under investigation Monday, Summerill said. Sheriff's officials would not release his hometown, only saying Howard was a Davis County resident.
