Climbing
A 13-year-old Iowa boy fell to his death Sunday afternoon while climbing in Snow Canyon State Park, UT park officials said. The boy, who was visiting the park with his mother and two siblings, was free-soloing without any equipment, including a helmet, when he fell “from a significant height and died at the scene due to injuries sustained from the fall,” said Utah State Parks spokesman Eugene Swalberg.
“The boy was scampering, free-climbing, and apparently got up too high,” Swalberg said. “He fell from a significant height and sustained fatal injuries.”
Park and Washington County emergency personnel responded to the accident at Pioneer Names, which occurred at about 4:15 pm in what Swalberg said was a popular recreation area with established routes for climbers.
No one witnessed the boy fall, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
What DA said. There is a big difference between free soloing (what the boy was doing) and free climbing (climbing with ropes, harnesses, removable pro, etc.). Please update your article to use the correct terms.
If the boy was climbing without any equipment then he was free soloing, not free climbing. Free climbing involves safety equipment, but does not involve aid climbing techniques.