Three Utah tourists are sucked to their death by WHIRLPOOL while hiking through California beauty spot
Three tourists in Utah were sucked to death after being caught in a whirlpool while hiking in a popular California nature spot.
Jeannine Skinner, 34, David Bell, 48, and Pete On, 48, drowned Friday afternoon while canyoneering along the Seven Teacups trail in Tulare County, about 80 miles northeast of Bakersfield.
The three friends and a group of others were almost at the end of their adventure when Jeannine decided to jump from a height of 1.20 meters into a ‘small swimming pool’.
David and Pete then jumped into the water, after realizing that Jeannine had not surfaced because she had become trapped in the undertow.
They both broke free from the strong current before going back to save Jeannine, but the three of them 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 Friday afternoon while canyoneering along the Seven Teacups trail in Tulare County
Pete On, 48 (left) and David Bell, 48, both jumped into the water after Jeannine appeared to be struggling with a strong undertow
David’s sisters, Summerisa Bell Stevens and Valecia Green, said the group had enjoyed “a trouble-free day canyoning together” before the fatal incident.
The Leader [of the group] “I had made this trip, I think she said it 15 times, so it was just the very last four-foot drop into a pool, a small pool,” Valecia said KSL-TV.
Steven added that no one could have seen from the top of Seven Teacups whether there was anything wrong with the water.
“There was a circular current that was probably caused by a large log or rock being pushed into that area,” she added.
“Pete immediately jumped in the water to help Jeannine. At one point he got out and was able to get away from the current and reached out, but she couldn’t reach him, so he went back and tried to get her.”
In the middle of the terrifying whirlpool, their brother also managed to escape, but when he saw that Pete was unconscious, he immediately went back to help.
The three friends and 13 others were almost at the end of their walk when Jeannine decided to jump into a ‘small pool’ from a distance of 1.20 meters. (Photo: Seven Teacups trail)
“These are three amazing people who will be deeply missed by their family, friends and the community at large,” Valecia said.
Friends and family of the trio have expressed their grief and support in a Facebook group called ‘David, Jeannine, Pete Celebration of Life and Friendship.’
Jeannine, a registered dietitian, nutritionist and health coach, is remembered by her former roommate for her “big heart.”
Many people also posted videos of Jeannine and David having fun together on the dance floor.
In honor of the three of them, their dance community will hold an event on Wednesday. Everyone has been asked to wear purple and will receive ribbons as a tribute.
Valecia, David’s older sister, said she will always remember her late brother as someone who “helped people achieve a goal and then find joy in it,” she told the outlet.
Her brother co-founded the Harrington Center for the Arts, a nonprofit organization in his hometown of American Fork, Utah.
David also owned Runtastic Events, a group behind many marathons in Utah.
Valecia, David’s older sister, said she will always remember her late brother as someone who always “helped people achieve a goal and found joy in it.” (Photo: David Bell)
Pete (right) is remembered as ‘an adventurer in every sense of the word’
“He loved being outside and he felt like he was connecting with God outside,” Valecia said.
Besides his hobbies, David was known as an uncle, son, brother and ‘an incredible human being’.
His family has a GoFundMe in memory of Bell. As of Sunday afternoon, the donation page had raised more than $7,100.
Pete is remembered as “an adventurer in every sense of the word,” according to his memorial page.
Besides canyoning, Pete also enjoyed surfing, soccer, volleyball and golfing, among other outdoor activities.
“But more than his adventures, it was his love for family and friends that defined him. Pete cherished his relationships and always put those closest to him first,” the page reads.
Jeannine, a registered dietitian, nutritionist and health coach, is remembered by her former roommate for her ‘big heart’
His family praised him for going after Jeannine, saying he was exactly the type of person she was to him.
“I can’t imagine a world without you. My heart has never hurt so much, and since you were gone, you’ve consumed every waking minute of my life,” said Pete’s little sister Kauti.
“None of us are surprised that your last moments on earth were spent fighting to save someone’s life. It’s so you, such a ‘Pete’ action. You had no choice,” she added.
All three of their bodies were recovered Saturday and will be taken to Utah for burial.
A marathon will be held in Payson on September 7 in memory of the victims.