A group of friends from Utah were hiking in the canyons near the Seven Teacups Trail in Tulare County on Friday when one jumped into a seemingly harmless pool of water.
Minutes later, three people died after being trapped in a whirlpool and drowning while trying to save each other.
Led by David Bell, 48, co-founder of the nonprofit Harrington Center for the Arts, 13 people had been canyoneering — exploring a canyon by hiking, climbing or rappelling — in the Central Valley near Johnsondale, the organization said in a social media post. One member of the group, Jeannine Skinner, 34, jumped into the pool but did not return to the surface and appeared to be caught in an undercurrent, Bell’s sister, Summerisa Bell Stevens, told KSL-TV.
Another member of the group, Peter On, 48, dove into the pool to help Skinner and Bell followed, Stevens said. On managed to pull away from the current at one point, but Skinner couldn't reach his hand so he dove back in.
“[Then] Dave was able to break out of the cycle at the same time On fell unconscious, but Dave saw that Skinner was still in the pattern, [so] He came back and tried to get her out, too,” Stevens said.
Their friends pulled them out of the pool within minutes, he said, but all three had lost consciousness and could not be revived.
“They are three amazing, wonderful people who will be greatly missed by family, friends and the community at large,” Valecia Green, Bell’s older sister, told KSL.
The Tulare County Fire Department responded to a possible drowning around 5:20 p.m. Friday and officials found three people dead at the scene, according to local media reports. Another person was reported to have serious injuries.
The Fire Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
