A tragedy occurred over the weekend at Utah’s Zion National Park. The National Park Service announced in a press release that a 40-year-old man died on Oct. 5 after falling 150 to 200 feet. That man was later identified as Justin Bingham, the CEO of Opiniion, a Lindon, Utah-based tech startup.
Per the Park Service, Bingham was canyoneering with three others around 6PM when he fell. The group had been following their permitted itinerary through Heaps Canyon at the time of the incident.
Zion National Park Technical Search and Rescue Team and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office soon arrived and administered medical care before Bingham was extracted via helicopter from the scene.
Bingham received more aid from Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue and Intermountain Life Flight at a heliport but was pronounced dead before he could be transported to the hospital.
The following day, the remaining group members were rescued, two by helicopter and one by an assisted rappelling down the canyon.
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time,” Zion National Park Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh said.
Bingham’s exact cause of death is still being investigated.
Justin Bingham Is Remembered by loved ones
In the wake of his death, his company took to Instagram to pay tribute to their late CEO.
“The hardest thing to share with others is loss. No words feel worthy, no sentiment enough. Today is no exception,” the company wrote. “Doing what he loved this weekend, @justindbingham, our CEO, was involved in a canyoneering incident that, despite the quick responses of various emergency teams, resulted in his untimely passing.”
“At Opiniion, Justin was more than just our CEO. He was a friend, a mentor, an example of hard work and above all, he was family,” the post continued. “Justin knew each of us by name and made a point when he came into the office to say hello to everyone individually, every single day. We never doubted his love for us and for those with whom he was associated. We will always remember his optimism, his kindness, and the hard work that brought Opiniion to where it is today.”
The company also wrote in a blog post: “Justin was a visionary who believed in the power of genuine connections, both with our clients and within our team. His commitment to building meaningful relationships made a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Justin’s spirit of adventure and dedication to living life fully will be deeply missed.”
Devin Shurtleff, the company’s co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, addressed the tragedy in a statement, too.
“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,” Shurtleff said. “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 is survived by his wife, Lindsay, and their four children—Landon, Ashton, Turin, and Ava.
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The post Tech CEO Dies After Falling 200 Feet in Zion National Park appeared first on VICE.
