Three Utah tourists were sucked to their death after being caught in a whirlpool during a hike at a popular California beauty spot.
Jeannine Skinner, 34, David Bell, 48, and Pete On, 48, drowned while canyoneering on the Seven Teacups Trail in Tulare County, about 80 miles northeast of Bakersfield, on Friday afternoon.
The three friends and a group of other people were nearing the end of their adventure when Jeannine decided to jump off a five-foot cliff into a “small pool.”
David and Pete then jumped in after her when they realized that Jeannine had failed to make it to the surface after getting caught in the undercurrent.
They both managed to free themselves from the strong current before diving back in to save Jeannine, but all three lost consciousness. Others tried to perform CPR on them for more than 20 minutes, but they did not survive.
Jeannine Skinner, 34 (pictured), David Bell, 48, and Pete On, 48, drowned while canyoneering on the Seven Teacups Trail in Tulare County on Friday afternoon.
Pete On, 48 (left) and David Bell, 48, jumped in after Jeannine after she appeared to be having difficulty in a strong undercurrent.
David’s sisters, Summerisa Bell Stevens and Valecia Green, said the group had “had a perfect day canyoning together” before the fatal incident.
“The leader (of the group) had done this trip, I think she said 15 times, so it was just the last four-foot drop into a pool, a small pool,” Valecia said. KSL television channel.
Steven added that from the top of Seven Teacups no one would have been able to tell if anything was wrong in the water.
“There was a circular current that they believe was caused by a large log or rock that was pushed into that area,” he added.
‘Pete immediately jumped into the water to help Jeannine. At one point, he managed to get out of the current and reach out and she couldn’t reach it, so he went back into the water to try and pull her out.’
In the midst of the terrifying whirlpool, his brother also managed to free himself, but upon seeing Pete unconscious, he immediately returned to help him.
The three friends and 13 other people were nearing the end of their hike when Jeannine decided to jump from a five-foot drop into a “small pool” (pictured: Seven Teacups Trail)
“They are three amazing, wonderful people who will be greatly missed by their families, friends and the community at large,” Valecia said.
Friends and family of the trio have shown an outpouring of grief and support in a Facebook Group called ‘David, Jeannine, Pete Celebration of Life and Friendship’.
Jeannine, a registered dietitian nutritionist and healthcare coach, was remembered for her “big heart” by her former roommate.
Many people also posted videos of Jeannine and David having fun together on the dance floor.
In honor of the three, their dance community will host an event on Wednesday. Everyone has been asked to wear purple and will receive ribbons to honor them.
Valecia, David’s older sister, said she will always remember her late brother as someone who always “helped people achieve a goal and then feel joy from it,” she told the outlet.
His brother co-founded the Harrington Center for the Arts, a nonprofit organization in his hometown of American Fork, Utah.
David was also the owner of Runtastic Events, a group behind many marathons in Utah.
David’s older sister Valecia said she will always remember her late brother as someone who always “helped people achieve a goal and then found joy in it.” (Photo: David Bell)
Pete (right) has been remembered as “an adventurer in every sense of the word.”
“He loved being outdoors and felt like he connected with God outside,” Valecia said.
In addition to his hobbies, David was known as an uncle, son, brother and “an incredible human being.”
His family has created a GoFundMe In memory of Bell, the donation page had raised more than $7,100 as of Sunday afternoon.
Pete has been remembered as “an adventurer in every sense of the word,” according to his Memorial page.
In addition to canyoning, Pete also enjoyed surfing, soccer, volleyball, and golf, among other outdoor activities.
“But more than his adventures, what defined him was his love for family and friends. Pete valued his relationships and always put those he cared about first,” the page said.
Jeannine, a registered dietitian nutritionist and healthcare coach, has been remembered for her “big heart” by her former roommate.
His family praised him for going after Jeannine, saying that was exactly the kind of person he was.
“I can’t fathom a world without you. My heart has never hurt so much and since you passed away, you have consumed every waking minute of my life,” said Pete’s younger sister, Kauti.
“None of us are surprised that your last moments here on Earth were to save someone’s life. That’s very typical of you, a very typical Pete gesture. You couldn’t have done anything else,” he added.
The three bodies were recovered on Saturday and will be flown back to Utah for funeral services.
TO marathon It will be held on September 7 in Payson in honor of the victims.
