Camper wakes up to find friend fell off 70-foot cliff to his death, Utah sheriff says

A camper woke up to find his missing friend had fallen to his death from a 70-foot cliff, Utah officials say.

A man from Arizona went on a camping trip with 26-year-old Ian Brisbin to Lake Powell in Utah, the Kane County Utah Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The two men parted ways when the man went to sleep while Brisbin stayed up to watch the stars, according to the news release.

When the man woke up Thursday morning, he could not find Brisbin. He looked around and finally over the edge of the cliff, the Sheriff’s Office said.

“He eventually looked over to the edge of the cliff and noticed some belongings,” the news release said. “(Brisbin’s) body was then located about 70 feet below.”

Brisbin was dead, and the incident appears to be an accident, officials said.

“After a Kane County deputy arrived, it was determined that Brisbin was deceased, and it would require the use of a technical rope team to retrieve his body,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “Rope rescue personnel from Kane County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue and National Park Service worked together to raise Ian to the top of the cliff.”

This story was originally published May 15, 2020 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Camper wakes up to find friend fell off 70-foot cliff to his death, Utah sheriff says."