Climber’s body found on ‘steep, rocky slope’ in Utah after he texted friend to get him
The body of a climber was found on a “very steep, rocky slope” after he texted a friend to pick him up, Utah officials said.
Thomas James Rawe, 45, was on his way down from climbing at American Fork Canyon when he texted a friend to pick him up in 45 minutes at a “Forest Service fee booth near the mouth” of the canyon on Saturday, Sept. 3, according to a news release from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
“Mr. Rawe also sent the friend a picture that showed the steep terrain and the fee booth,” the sheriff’s office said.
The friend arrived, but Rawe never showed, according to the office. The friend wasn’t initially surprised he didn’t hear from Rawe, as he told the friend his phone was nearly out of battery.
Utah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue responded after receiving a call about a missing climber after 9 p.m., the office said.
The team searched for a couple of hours in the dark, but “because of the dangerous nature of the terrain they called off the operation for the night,” the office said.
The sheriff’s office said it, along with the Utah Department of Public Safety, started up the search again on Sunday morning.
While on a DPS helicopter, a crew member spotted something they thought to be Rawe’s body “on a very steep, rocky slope,” the sheriff’s office said. After confirming the body was his, Rawe was flown out of the canyon.
The sheriff’s office said Rawe likely “lost his footing or stumbled, then fell and tumbled several hundred feet down the steep slope.”
Rawe was described as the “‘favorite uncle’ of his nieces and nephews,” according to the office.
American Fork Canyon is about 35 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.
This story was originally published September 6, 2022 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Climber’s body found on ‘steep, rocky slope’ in Utah after he texted friend to get him."
