14 DAY TRIAL // A 22-year-old man atempting a dangerous swing at the Corona Arch in Utah has died hitting the ground while trying out a rope swing stunt watched on YouTube.
In order to perform the extreme stunt, he has jumped from the the 140-foot (42-m) high sandstone formation that has become increasingly popular since videos of the Arch swing have started popping up online.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Kyle Stocking fell on the rough terrain at high speeds. A spokesman for the Grand County Sheriff’s Office has described that his rope did not have the proper length to ensure his safety.
"[The] length of rope to swing from the arch was miscalculated and when [Stocking] swung under the arch, he struck the ground . . . receiving fatal injuries," Sheriff’s Lt. Kim Neal explains.
The five friends he was accompanied by alerted authorities from the town of Moab of the incident at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 24, but rescue teams could not revive him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accident has prompted safety concerns that have left Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials seeking to better regulate extreme sports at the Corona Arch.
"The BLM Canyon Country District Office has been reviewing activities like rope swinging and high-lining, as well as the conflicts that can arise between high energy, high adrenaline pursuits and the more quiet experiences often sought by other public land users at scenic attractions like Corona Arch.
"Looking ahead, the Moab Field Office will be taking a closer look at appropriate ways to balance and manage these activities on public lands," BLM spokeswoman Megan Crandall says.
"As far as the general public is concerned, there is no way we can keep people out of these areas. [...] There’s no way on Earth you can tell someone not to climb a mountain," School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) head, Kim Christy comments.
