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Officials investigating after man dies at Rainbow Family Gathering

Posted at 4:48 PM, Jun 29, 2014
and last updated 2014-06-29 18:48:57-04

HEBER CITY, Utah — Officials responded to a death Sunday morning at a gathering being held by the Rainbow Family about 15 miles east of Heber City in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

According to a press release from the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement identified 68-year-old Timothy R. Gillespie of Cushing, Texas as the deceased.

Friends of the man told officials they saw the man retire to his tent at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday. When the man did not come out of his tent Sunday morning they were concerned, and they checked on him at about 7:30 a.m., which is when they found the man had died.

According to the press release, the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office is investigating whether criminality exists in this case, and they are working with the State Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death.

The release further stated: “Law enforcement officers from the U.S. Forest Service, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Utah Highway Patrol worked to protect and ensure the safety of investigators as they entered the Rainbow Gathering and investigated the death—we greatly appreciate their professionalism and skill and the way they serve this community and their respective agencies.

In addition, the Emery County Sheriff’s Office, Heber City Police Department and various Wasatch County departments have been great partners as we have all worked through the challenges presented by the Rainbow Family Gathering, which officially starts July 1st and apparently ends July 7th.”

FOX 13 News will have more information as it becomes available.