UPDATE: Two men dead after rappelling incidents in Emery County

EMERY COUNTY, Utah — Emery County Search & Rescue responded to two separate fatal rappelling incidents involving people falling off cliffs this Easter weekend.

The first incident happened Friday as 50-year-old Craig Barlow from Salt Lake City fell off a cliff in the Upper Black Box area. Officials say Barlow was sitting on a boulder while his friends were rappelling down a ledge when the boulder fell loose, causing him to fall about 50 feet.

When search and rescue crews arrived, they began treating Barlow at the scene. Crews tried to airlift him out of the canyon, but officials say they were unable to due to difficult terrain. Barlow was eventually carried out of the canyon as crews could get him airlifted from a better position and transported to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

The second incident occurred the next day as another man fell off a cliff. Officials say 41-year-old Arlo Lott from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, fell about 70 feet while rappelling at the Farnsworth Canyon.

Air support was called in to help find Lott but had to leave due to the dangerous high winds.

Officials say rescue crews reached Lott by rappelling to him. They started to prepare for an airlift as they called in air support again but couldn’t reach them as the high winds continued.

Unfortunately, Lott’s condition worsened as crews tried to get him out of the canyon. They performed lifesaving measures for about one hour before pronouncing him dead at the scene.

“Emery County Sheriff’s Office expresses sincere condolences to the families and friends of these two men,” read a press release Monday afternoon from the Emery County Sheriff’s Office. “We also appreciate all agencies who responded to these two tragic accidents.”

Classic Air, State DPS, and Wasatch Front helicopters helped in these incidents with Emery County SAR and Goblin State Park personnel.