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Cliff jumping accident at Echo Reservoir

A 34-year-old man was seriously injured while cliff jumping at Echo Reservoir Sunday afternoon.

Christopher McCarty, 34, of Salt Lake County, was taken by medical helicopter to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray after he jumped off a cliff on the southwest end of the lake, according to Utah State Park officials. The extent of his injuries or current condition is unknown.

Leslie Bird, manager of the Echo Resort Restaurant at Echo Reservoir, was working at the restaurant when the accident happened.

"Only thing we can think of is that when he jumped he flipped around and landed on the water the wrong way, injuring his back and his hips," Bird said.

Medical personnel took McCarty to the reservoir’s south beach before transporting him via helicopter to the hospital, he said.

Bird said people frequently come to the reservoir to jump off the cliffs, which are nearly 50 feet tall, but quickly added he wouldn’t jump off them.

"I don’t care how deep the water is," he said.

Lt. Eric Stuki, with the Utah State Parks, said cliff jumpers at Echo Reservoir have been injured in the past.

"It’s not an activity that is encouraged, by any means, and it is highly dangerous," he said.

However, there hasn’t been enough water in recent years to attract many people, Stuki said. He didn’t know the depth of the water where the accident on Sunday took place, but said the water level is "dropping pretty fast."

"They’re starting to let water out of the dams and pretty soon we there won’t be any water there," he said.

Summit County


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