Search Efforts Underway in Yellowstone For Missing Utah Man

Search Efforts Underway in Yellowstone For Missing Utah Man
Date: June 17, 2009
Contact: Al Nash or Stacy Vallie, (307) 344-2015

Officials are searching for the body of a Utah man who apparently committed suicide by jumping off the edge of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Tuesday afternoon.

The 20 year old was last seen about 1:50 p.m. on the observation platform at the Brink of the Lower Falls, along the north rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Witnesses at the scene said the man jumped over the railing into the Yellowstone River, and then went down over the 308 foot high Lower Falls. A search of the river was begun immediately, using both observers on the ground and the park helicopter. The search and recovery effort continued Wednesday.

The Utah man is missing and presumed dead. His name is being withheld pending notification of family members. The incident remains under investigation. The latest stream flow reading upstream of the falls at the outlet of Yellowstone Lake recorded over 44,500 gallons of water per second flowing into the Yellowstone River.

Recovery Efforts Continue In Yellowstone For Missing Utah Man
Date: June 18, 2009
Contact: Al Nash or Stacy Vallie, (307) 344-2015

Searchers continued their efforts Thursday looking for the body of a Utah man who apparently committed suicide in Yellowstone National Park Tuesday afternoon. Witnesses say 20 year old Nicholas Mostert was on an observation platform at the Brink of the Lower Falls, when he jumped over the railing into into the Yellowstone River. The Salt Lake City area man was then swept over the 308 foot Lower Falls to the bottom of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Searchers Wednesday rapelled to the bottom of the canyon, and recovered some of Mostert’s clothing from an eddy about a quarter mile downstream from the base of the Lower Falls. The park helicopter conducted another search flight Thursday morning along the 20 mile long canyon. The ground search is centered on observation points along the canyon rim with a clear view of the Yellowstone River at the bottom of the canyon, which ranges from 800 to 1,200 feet deep.

The Brink of the Lower Falls is a popular observation point along the north rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. A gauge upstream of the falls recorded nearly 6,000 cubic feet of water per second flowing into the Yellowstone River at the outlet of Yellowstone Lake at the time of the incident.

Photo: Doug Madsen of Yellowstone's Search and Rescue Team retrieves and item of the victim's clothing from the Yellowstone River. (NPS Photo by Doug MacCartney)