Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Justin Bingham, a Utah CEO and family social media influencer, died after falling while rappelling in Zion National Park's Heaps Canyon.
- Over 50 first responders attempted to save Bingham's life, but he was pronounced dead before being airlifted.
SPRINGDALE, Washington County — Utah CEO and family social media influencer Justin Bingham has been identified as the man who suffered an accidental fall in Zion National Park that ultimately killed him last Saturday.
Bingham, 40, was rappelling near the exit of Heaps Canyon with three other people Saturday at approximately 6 p.m. when he fell between 150 and 200 feet, park officials said. The group was following its permitted itinerary through Heaps Canyon when Bingham fell.
A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter quickly flew Bingham to a heliport spot near Watchman Campground where he could be transferred to a medical helicopter. He received additional care there from Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue, but was pronounced dead before the helicopter could take off.
Man falls, dies while rappelling in Zion National Park
A man in his 40s died after he fell near the upper Emerald Pools while rappelling on Saturday.In all, over 50 first responders of the various rescue teams worked to keep him alive, according to the company Bingham headed, Opiniion.
Park officials said the three other canyoneers Bingham was with were forced to stay in the canyon and shelter in place overnight because it was not safe for them to be hoisted out after Bingham was taken. They were given supplies to last overnight. Two were then taken by the DPS helicopter Sunday morning and the third was assisted down the canyon by a search-and-rescue team. Park officials did not say how the group knew Bingham or each other.
The company made the announcement Monday, honoring Bingham and announcing a plan for interim CEO.
"If you spent any time around him, he was the eternal optimist. 'Everything is always going to work out,' he told me so many times. But he was right and it usually did," said interim CEO Devin Shurtleff. "Justin wasn't just a leader here at Opiniion, he was a mentor, a dad, and a friend to many of us. He believed that the relationships we build are what make this work meaningful and he truly lived that every day."
Bingham and his family were featured in a KSL-TV story in 2019, when Justin Bingham and his wife, Lindsay Bingham, shared the story of their son Landon who has cerebral palsy. The family documented their lives on YouTube in their channel called Life in Holland.
The channel got its name from the story of a flight on its way to Italy that was indefinitely diverted to Holland. Instead of making a fuss, the passengers made the most of the unexpected destination and enjoyed their time — similar to the way the Bingham family viewed their son's cerebral palsy diagnosis; unplanned but "beautiful no matter what."
Contributing: Dan Spindle and Shara Park, KSL-TV
