Community mourning the death of 16-year-old Utah girl after dirt bike fall
Oct 29, 2024, 12:15 PM | Updated: 12:52 pm
MORONI, Sanpete County — A community is mourning the loss of a 16-year-old girl after she died while riding her dirt bike in the mountains near Manti on Saturday.
Keith Bailey was with his daughter Brinley when she veered off a trail and went over a cliff. Bailey, and his wife, Jennifer Bailey are devastated after what can only be described as a fluke accident.
They said Brinley was a light to everyone who knew her, and since her death, they said they are hearing from more and more people whose lives were touched by their daughter.
Keith nicknamed her his “little buddy” because she always wanted to hang out with him. They enjoyed lots of time in the mountains on dirt bikes and snowmobiles. She even competed on a national snowmobile team.
Brinley Bailey competed in a national snowmobiling competition. She was number 17. (Courtesy Bailey Family)
They said Brinley was an active teen. At school, Brinley played softball and tennis.
Brinley was the first of four girls in the Bailey family. Her younger sister, Breanne, said they were close.
“We were best friends,” she said. “We went everywhere together.”
Breanne is just two years younger than Brinley. She said she’s going to miss riding to school together, having lunch, and playing tennis together. And at home, that void will be huge too.
Brinley Bailey was the oldest of four girls in the Bailey family. (Courtesy Bailey Family)
“The color of her hair, her smile, you could replace it with the sun,” Breanne said.
The family are devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and they said faith is what’s carrying them through this tragedy.
“We don’t know where we’d be without our Savior, Jesus Christ,” Keith Bailey said. “Because of the sealing power that’s on the earth today, we’ll see her again.”
The family said it is grateful for the outpouring of love and support they received. When asked how people can help, they said they’ve felt their community’s prayers in this hard time and asked for them to continue.
