Jonathan Fielding Utah teen falls 300 feet to his death taking photos at Canyon overlook after venturing off trail while hiking with friends.
‘He felt invincible.’ A 19-year-old Utah teen died after fallling 1,400 feet to his death at a popular canyon while trying to to take a photograph after venturing off-trail.
Jonathan Fielding was hiking with a group of friends on Saturday near Moonscape Overlook near Torrey, Utah just outside of Hanskville when he lost his footing and plummeted to his death.
The area that is often referred to as ‘Mars‘ is covered with gray mesas, steep cliffs that drop hundreds of feet to a view of a landcape that look liks the moon.
At what cost the better photo?
The teen, who is from Blue Springs, Missouri recently moved to Orem, Utah, his family said. Described by his loved ones as a ‘photography enthusiast,’ Fielding stopped to take photos to capture the views moments prior to the tragedy. In a bid to get a better shot, the teen ventured off guarded hiking safety trails. That’s when he fell.
Wayne County officials ruled the teen’s death as accidental, KUTV reported.
Officials said Jonathan that fell approximately 300 feet and died on impact, KTVX reported.
Deputies from the sheriff’s office told the station that they believed Fielding was trying to get a better view of the canyon when he fell.
His grieving family described him as a ‘loving and caring son, brother, grandson, uncle, nephew, and cousin.
‘While the passing of Jonathan was unexpected, we take some comfort knowing that he was doing what he loved at the time of the accident,’ they wrote. ‘ He was on a photoshoot with friends in the beautiful Utah wilderness where he loved to be.’
‘I want people to be aware of the dangers of hiking,’ Jonathan’s sister Rebecca said, per KTVX. ‘I don’t think a lot of people realize just how dangerous those areas are, it is just so easy to just slip and fall.’
Jonathan Fielding Utah teen remembered
Fielding was described in his obituary as a ‘fun-loving, intelligent young man,’ and was called ‘Johnny’ by his friends.
‘He had big dreams and hopes focused on sales. More important than his dreams and future plans, however, Jonathan was a good person.
‘Jonathan truly cared about others. He would genuinely listen to you. He was truly a friend in every sense of the word.
‘He had many friends and was an influence for good. He was always kind to others. He would often notice those that needed help and offered them assistance and encouragement.’
He was a boy scout who worked his way up to Eagle Scout, and was also a skilled athlete who was a membe of his high school’s track and field team and pole vaulter, who went to State in DECA.
‘While Jonathan’s time in life was limited, his impact on others was not. He was loved by many. He will be missed by all that knew him.’
‘Invincible…’
Wrote his sister, Rebecca Fielding on Facebook: ‘”Jonathan thought he was invincible. He was so young, so happy, so full of life. Nothing scared him. This kind of thing was never supposed to happen to him. It doesn’t feel right being in a world without him and I’d give anything to trade places with him.
It was a tragic accident, but Jonathan should be a cautionary tale to anyone who hikes or does photography.
‘No view is worth your life. No view is worth the suffering that your family and friends will go through. No view is worth the risk that rescuers face when trying to save people and recover bodies.
‘There was no reason for my brother to die. Please don’t make the same mistakes he did.’
Earlier in the week, a GoFundMe was created to help cover the funeral costs.
Fielding’s funeral will be held on Saturday.
