The following text appeared in the July 5, 1982 edition of the Daily Herald.
Rod Collett, Herald Staff Writer
Utah County Jeep posse and deputies recovered the body of a 14-year-old Orem youth Sunday off the Aspen trail after he fell 70 feet to his death late Saturday while hiking with some friends.
A Utah County sheriff’s dispatcher identified the victim as mark Morgan 14 of Orem. He was hiking with five friends above emerald lake on the steep Aspen trail when he fell into an ice cavern.
The boy’s death is the third on the Aspen trail in the past two months. Forest Service officials were forced to close off the trail in late May when two hikers lost their lives when they fell into the same ice cavern about a mile up to Aspen trail.
After the second death sheriff’s demolition experts led by Sergeant Jerry Scott dynamited the cavern easing some of the hiking danger.
After the Orem youth fell to his death Saturday his five hiking companions went down the mountain and notified authorities about 8:00 PM Saturday night.
The Utah County Jeep posse and other rescuers climbed the trail and reached the accident location a few hours later.
A life flight helicopter was placed on alert in case the youth survived the fall into the 70-foot ice crevice. But a sheriff’s deputy was lowered into the hole and confirmed that the boy had died in the plunge.
Because of darkness difficult terrain and deep water in the ice crevice rescuers were forced to abandon recovery attempts Saturday. But by 1:00 PM Sunday the body had been recovered and taken to the state medical examiner’s office in Salt Lake City for an autopsy.
Meanwhile the condition of another hiking victim who suffered critical injuries in a 60-foot fall above Vivian Park in Provo Canyon has improved. Steven Rose, 15, of sandy was injured about 1:15 PM Saturday when he lost his footing and fell over a Cliff. He was flown to Cottonwood hospital in Murray where he was hospitalized in intensive care period his condition was listed as serious this morning.
