SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Salt Lake Valley arts and running communities are mourning today as three Utahns died in a canyoneering incident — one of whom was the CEO of an American Fork-based running events company.
David Bell, Jeannine Skinner, and Peter On, drowned Friday at Seven Teacups, according to the Tulare County Fire Department. The three were rappelling in the area when Skinner got caught in a whirlpool. On allegedly jumped in and also got caught in the whirlpool and Bell then tried to save them. All three drowned as a result.
READ NEXT: Three Utahns drown in whirlpool during canyoneering trip in Sierra Nevadas Bell served as the CEO and lead race director of the events company, Runtastic Events. He also was a founding member and board member of the Harrington Center for the Arts.
“David is a hero,” a post from the Harrington Center for the Arts reads. “There are not words to describe the pain of our loss.”
The post continued to say Bell “brought joy to hundreds of thousands of runners through the races he organized at his company, Runtastic Events, and through the events at Harrington Center for the Arts.”
The center said the races were always in support of local charities, donating to causes such as cancer research, children with autism, veterans, youth athletics, and the arts.
Bell’s running events company released a statement Saturday night stating they will honor his memory by dedicating their next event to him.
“Runtastic NEBO on September 7 will be dedicated to David’s legacy. David has touched countless lives through his races over the past 14 years. Dave put his heart and soul into these events to bring runners an amazing experience,” the post said.
Many friends and family members of those who died in the incident took to Facebook to remember On, Skinner and Bell. Others spoke to ABC4.com.
“Disbelief is probably the biggest [word],” Sherman On, Peter’s brother told ABC4. “It was a hobby he did frequently on the weekends.”
Students wearing blackface at southern Utah football game awarded school spirit prize, parent claims Sherman On said that Peter On sold his condo to customize a van that was able to fit a queen sized bed, surfboards, and all of his rappelling gear so he could travel around to locations and live out of his van.
Sherman added that his brother liked to get to know people and have deeper conversations. Even if you were in the middle of the group, he said “you felt like you were one on one with Pete.”
Josh Nicholls, Peter On’s brother-in-law, said that this was “something that you couldn’t comprehend or imagine happening.” To Nicholls, Peter lived every day “to the maximum.”
“He was the embodiment of ‘carpe diem’,” he said.
David Bell and Jeannine Skinner were country swing dancing partners, many videos were posted to Facebook of the pair dancing.
“I just know they’re dancing in the sky together,” said one Facebook commenter.
A tribute for the three drowning victims called “Dancing Through Life” is being held Wednesday night at the Classic Fun Center in Sandy. More information can be found here .
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