You never quite know what is going to happen from one day to the next and sometimes, we may hear about a tragedy that really takes our breath away. That is what happened recently when a mother of four children died in a hiking accident.
The mother was walking along a rock ledge and she stepped onto the edge, which was weak. Unfortunately, it gave way and she ended up falling 100 feet to her death.
Any time you are hiking, it is an activity that carries a degree of risk. If you are cautious and don’t take too many chances, however, it is unlikely that you are going to experience any real difficulties.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with this couple. They were out enjoying the hike on March 27 in the “Bull’s Head” area of Sevier County, Utah. It was a day that they were enjoying nature but tragedy struck out of nowhere.
Colton Thompson had taken the lead and his wife, Candace was following him. When she stepped on a rock edge, it gave way and she fell about 100 feet down the slope. Colton started running down the hill toward her calling 911 but she was already in bad condition.
The Sheriff’s office posted the following: “First responders on scene included on duty Richfield City Officers and an off-duty Sheriff’s deputy began life-saving measures. EMTs and SAR arrived and were able to transport Candice to a waiting ambulance. A medical helicopter was also on scene, but they were not able to get Candice’s vitals stable enough to be transported by helicopter.”
She was taken to the hospital and treated but her injuries were too much for her. The police chief followed up with the following: “The last couple of days have been heartbreaking for our department family. Candice has been a part of our family for most of her life. Her father and I worked many years together and Candice was always a part of that. After Russ retired I hired his son-in-law, Colton. Candice continued being part of our family as a wonderful wife to Colton. To say that there is a hole in our hearts today is just simply understated because there are just no words.”
There was also a follow-up post, which stated that it was an accident and that the elements had degraded the edge.
“Evidence at the scene confirms the accounts given by witnesses who were hiking in the same canyon at the time of the accident. Candice was at an edge of an overhang that was eroded away underneath. Due to deteriorating conditions of the rock combined with winter weather and moisture, Candice had been standing on a weak portion of the rock edge, the deteriorated rock edge broke away.”
“Close examination of the cliff face and ledge show recent fractures and exposure where other edges show exposure to the weather. The Utah Medical Examiners Office has also investigated the cause of death. Their investigation at this time has not yielded any suspicious causes other than the fall.”
26-year-old Candace Thompson leaves behind her four children and a husband. She loved the outdoors and spending time with her family.
Source: Inside Edition