Utah man found dead at Mooney Falls in Havasupai

[hikeaz]

A Utah man has died at Mooney Falls in Havasupai Canyon
Friday, July 2, 2010 5:00 am

According to information from the Coconino County Sheriff's Office, deputies received a report at about 11:30 Wednesday morning of a dead man at the falls. Witnesses told deputies that the man, Michael Allen, 32, of Ogden, was on a camping trip with family and friends. He was swimming in a pool at the top of Mooney Falls, went under water and did not resurface. Allen appears to have gone over the falls and fell about 200 feet. His body was washed down creek and came to rest on a bank about 100 yards downstream.
The body was transported to the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office, and the cause of death is under investigation.

[base871]

Is that two fatalities in a week there?

[chumley]

the cause of death is under investigation.

He fell 200 feet. Its either severe trauma or drowning. Probably a combination. I'm not even a medical examiner.

Very sad to hear.

I don't know how they avoid the insurance company/lawsuit culture we live in. I'm half-surprised that the public is even allowed near those falls given the risks associated and our litigious society.

[PaleoRob]

It is a sovereign nation - visitors may not have standing to sue.

[hikeaz]

the cause of death is under investigation.

He fell 200 feet. Its either severe trauma or drowning. Probably a combination. I'm not even a medical examiner.

Very sad to hear.

I don't know how they avoid the insurance company/lawsuit culture we live in. I'm half-surprised that the public is even allowed near those falls given the risks associated and our litigious society.

From what I've heard he had some sort of issue when he was in the upper pool and then went over either unconscious or had already drowned.

[joebartels]

@chumley Google can't handle China, you think Phillips & Lyon have a chance with Havasupai
Of course that's way off in comparison, just a joke. If Havasupai was negatively effecting Arizona's economy I'd venture to guess action might be attempted.

Also you can't squeeze blood from a turnip.

At any rate...
how unfortunate

[te_wa]

joe, educate me on this.. im confused because it is Havasu canyon, Havasu creek, Havasu falls, (etc?)

and the village is Supai.. so is saying "Havasupai" a bastardization of these two names?
I often hear ppl say "havasupai falls" and im quick to correct them, as i would want them to correct me when i mis-pronounce. whats the truth here? ;)

[PLC92084]

@te-wa

I've heard it both ways... think the technical name is Havasupai falls. Joe?

[hikeaz]

On the maps on the Havasupai website it is written as 'Havasu Falls'.
http://www.havasupaitribe.com/images/ma ... -trail.jpg
http://www.havasupaitribe.com/images/ma ... llsize.jpg

Havasuw `Baaja - ('people of the blue-green water') - Language is Pai.

[nonot]

Havasu means "blue/green waters", if my reference is correct. Havasupai means "people of the blue/green waters".

Therefore I think that "pai" is a way to denote people/citizenship.

So "Havasu Falls" would be the mix: "blue/green water falls"
"Havasupai Falls" would be the mix: "Falls (of the) people of the blue/green water"

So while both would be used, my guess is that "Havasu Falls" is sufficient.

[big_load]

I'm sorry for the victim's friends and family. I wish people were more careful. A couple more of these and pressure will grow to ban swimming and put up railings.

[joebartels]

Havasupai is the tribe in Havasu Canyon. The falls and such are Havasu. My grammar is third grade at best

[azhiker96]

I can't see any group trying to force the tribe to put up railings, ban swimming, etc. The Havasupai will do whatever they need to do to ensure visitors keep coming since this is a major income source.

[skimrn]

I backpacked there in and out from June 29 to July 1. Our campsite was the last campsite occupied right before the Mooney Falls. That dead guy asked us if there's additional campsites beyound ours and we said yes.

15min later we heard screaming sounds echoing throughout the canyon towards Mooney Falls. Later on we found out that someone died which was him. He was found floating head down, butt naked, on the bottom of the Mooney Falls. His dead body was helicoptered out. I saw it. The police officer said this was second death in 30 days in the exact same spot! So I posted a comment at the Havasupaitribe main website under the Guestbook and read their reply below:


We were there on 6/30/10 when the tragedy of Utah man who fell over Mooney Falls and died.

The police officer stated that it's the second death in 30 days on that exact same spot!

Havasupai tribe should post a sign where these two men jumped in. My friends and I actually hung out by the whirl pool night before this man died.

It's a giant whirl pool right next to the last camp site right before the Mooney Falls!

You WILL DIE if you jump in!

Admin reply: Thanks for pointing that out. This is a reminder that the grand canyon is not a theme park, it is nature's creation and people need to use common sense and good judgement regarding the activities they are involved in.

- Admin

[hikeaz]

I, for one, agree with the Tribe's reply. If you need a sign to tell you to be careful immediately above a 200' waterfall.........

[big_load]

If you need a sign to tell you to be careful immediately above a 200' waterfall.........

Yosemite is a good example of that. They DO have signs, and people still regularly die shortly after ignoring them. It must have been unnerving for skimrn to have been right there to be affected by the consequences.

[paulhubbard]

They need this at the trailhead:


It is a shame and I feel for his family, but I too agree with the tribe.

[skimrn]

hikeaz:

I don't know if you ever gone to the Havasu Falls backpacking, this was my 5th time going there in 7years.
If you get there for the first time in your life, when you approach that last "whirlpool" area before the Mooney Falls, you would NEVER know that 15feet beyond that area is the Mooney Falls! Right around the corner!

These two young men died, and I think it could of been avoided all together if there was a sign on that spot.

If i went there for the first time and saw this inviting whirlpool area, I could of jumped in. And if I did, I couldn't be writing this to you. I'd be in a casket.

[hikeaz]

hikeaz:


I don't know if you ever gone to the Havasu Falls backpacking, this was my 5th time going there in 7years.
If you get there for the first time in your life, when you approach that last "whirlpool" area before the Mooney Falls, you would NEVER know that 15feet beyond that area is the Mooney Falls! Right around the corner!

These two young men died, and I think it could of been avoided all together if there was a sign on that spot.

If i went there for the first time and saw this inviting whirlpool area, I could of jumped in. And if I did, I couldn't be writing this to you. I'd be in a casket.

I've been to Havasu many times over my 25+ years of hiking/backpacking & rafting Arizona, sometimes from the top and sometimes hiking up from the River.
Everyone that I've ever talked to that has been or was planning to go to Havasu goes for the.... yep.....waterFALLS.
All of the falls, and their proximity are shown well on the free map that the Tribe provides > http://www.havasupaitribe.com/images/ma ... llsize.jpg
I feel bad for this guy and anyone else that kills themselves, and maybe even a bit moreso for their families & friends. I have had my share of close-calls over the years (including a 50 footer last fall (no pun intended)) I did not, nor would I ever blame a sign or lack thereof for my a) choice to go in the outdoors b) my own dumba$$ choice to attempt something that could kill me. It's MY choice - there's no gun to my head - I love the outdoors. To me, dying is wasting away under flourescent light someplace - but that's just me. Everyone makes up their own mind what to attempt with THEIR life.
Moreover, look at all the fatalities in the Grand Canyon - there are signs all OVER that place, but every year it's the same old thing....... From what I can see, the only person that these signs help is the guy who owns the sign-making joint.

[switchflare]

This was the sign above the falls the last time I was there in 2007...not sure if it's there now. Unfortunately, these guys lost a lot more than $500.

When we were there in 2007, one of the tribesmen came riding through the campsites early in the morning, waking us up and telling everyone to get to higher ground and that there was a flash flood coming. Sure enough, within 30 minutes our campsite was underwater. (This was not the massive flood of 2008). Oddly enough, photos from this flood are my highest rated photos on this site.

Then when I went down there about 13 years ago, we actually had a guy with us who wanted to jump the falls. We weren't sure if he was serious. We were at the bottom of Havasu Falls when everyone started looking up and pointing to the top of the falls, where he was standing at the top and with a pool mattress. Fortunately he thought better of it and decided to just send the pool mattress over the falls for some pictures. Pool mattress was destroyed.

Needless to say, both times I've been down there I've been reminded just how hostile that paradise can be...and just how much respect it should command.