One climber dead, another hurt in fall from slick rocks in canyon, Utah police say

One climber died and a second suffered serious injuries after falling in Big Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City, Utah police told news outlets.

Kaitlynn Brann, 34, of Park City died in the fall, reported at about 7 p.m. Friday, May 12, the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake told the Gephardt Daily.

Her climbing partner, a 30-year-old man, was flown to a hospital but is expected to survive, police told KSL.

Search crews used drones to find the fallen climbers, KUTV reported. It’s not known how far they fell.

The climbers “had proper equipment, and were very well prepared for the elements,” detective Aymee Race told the Gephardt Daily.

“This is a very dangerous time to hike due to the amount of snow,” Race told KSL. “There is a lot of melting water, and the rocks can shift very easily.”

Big Cottonwood Canyon is about 25 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.

This story was originally published May 14, 2023 at 1:56 PM with the headline "One climber dead, another hurt in fall from slick rocks in canyon, Utah police say."