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Teen in Search of a Better View Falls to His Death

'No view is worth your life,' Jonathan Fielding's sister warns after tragedy at Utah overlook
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 2, 2024 11:21 AM CST
Trying to Snap a Better Photo, Teen Falls to His Death
Jonathan Fielding   (GoFundMe)

A 19-year-old man fell to his death at a popular canyon overlook in Utah over the weekend, apparently while trying to take a better photo. Jonathan Fielding, who'd recently moved to Orem from Missouri, was hiking with friends at Moonscape Overlook near Hanksville around 5pm Saturday when he stopped to snap some pictures. Two friends were reportedly with him as he tried to get a better view of the canyon and fell, per KUTV. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office ruled the death an accident. "It was a tragic accident, but Jonathan should be a cautionary tale to anyone who hikes or does photography," Fielding's sister wrote on Facebook, per CBS News.

"Never trust the ground on the edge of a cliff," wrote Rebecca Fielding. "The rocks may look solid, the ground might seem like it will hold, but it's still an eroding ticking time bomb," she continued. "There was no reason for my brother to die. Please don't make the same mistakes he did ... No view is worth your life. No view is worth the suffering that your family and friends will go through. No view is worth the risk that rescuers face when trying to save people and recover bodies." Family friend Connor Parry said Fielding "was a special kid, and it's important to keep that energy and that smile he brought to every conversation." More than $26,500 has been raised for funeral expenses, with a funeral planned for Saturday, according to a GoFundMe page. (More Utah stories.)

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