Man dies in Emery County hiking accident

Watch out: this post is over a year old and kept for archival purposes.
Some information may be outdated.

A 24-year-old man died after a fall in a side canyon of Cottonwood Canyon in Emery County on April 22, Emery County Sheriff’s office officials reported.

Matthew J. Schnitzer from New York went hiking with a friend after camping in the area for a week. The two separated on the hike, and his friend alerted authorities the following morning after Schnitzer did not return to camp. A helicopter crew located Schnitzer’s body at the bottom of an 80-foot cliff; it appears the man lost his footing and fell over the edge.

Emery County Sheriff Greg Funk extended thanks to all who helped in the search and recovery in a statement.

“The State DPS [Department of Public Safety] helicopter is a great support to search and rescue/recovery efforts in Emery County,” he wrote. “Additionally, many Emery County Search and Rescue members took time off from their jobs to respond, and once this recovery effort was completed, they traveled to Salt Lake for weekend rope rescue training.

      Appreciate the coverage? Help keep local news alive.
      Chip in to support the Moab Sun News.

      Liked this story?
      We have more.

      Subscribe to get the latest content from the Sun by email.

        We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.