‘Unfortunate pattern’: 4 hurt cliff jumping from Moab waterfall over Memorial Day weekend

MOAB, Utah ( ABC4 ) — The last few years have seen springtime thrill-seekers get hurt, sometimes seriously, while cliff jumping at a waterfall near Moab. Officials are calling it an “unfortunate pattern.”

In a social media post Monday, the Grand County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue said crews responded over the Memorial Day weekend to four cliff-jumping incidents at the waterfall in the north fork of Mill Creek, known as Left Hand. One of the incidents involved two injured people.

“The depth of the pool below the waterfall changes constantly with the flow of the creek,” officials said. “Jumping from above the pool is a calculated risk that can lead to life-altering injury. It’s simply not a smart thing to do.”

The search and rescue team noted that for the last four years the Memorial Day weekend has coincided with multiple accidents and injuries related to cliff-jumping in the area. In 2020, crews responded to nine injuries in as many days.

“We’re beginning to see an unfortunate pattern play out around this time of year,” the social media post said.

Since the rash of injuries in 2020, signage has been installed along Mill Creek, warning about the hazards of cliff-jumping into shallow pools. Still, many people continue to jump, suffering broken bones and other serious injuries, officials said.

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