KANE COUNTY, Utah — A man died over the weekend after falling in a slot canyon area in southern Utah.
According to Kane County Sheriff Tracy Glover, 55-year-old Jeffrey Bowden of Cedar City fell about 20 feet Sunday afternoon in an area called "Fat Man's Misery," just east of Zion National Park.
A friend who was hiking with Bowden saw him fall and even tried to soften his landing. She sustained minor injuries in doing so.
Officials say after the friend "attended to" Bowden and presumed he was dead, she hiked out to call for help.
The area is a remote but popular site for rappelling and canyoneering, and Sheriff Glover said the hike out is a long process.
Search and rescue crews found Bowden's body Monday and were able to retrieve him safely using technical rescue procedures and a helicopter hoist.
Glover thanked all those involved: Kane County deputies, the technical rescue team and the Utah Department of Public Safety Aero Bureau.
"The Kane County Sheriff's Office would also like to send our condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Jeffrey Bowden," Glover wrote in the press release.
