Park City teen dies in Austrian Alps hike on student trip

A recent graduate of Park City High School fell to his death Monday while hiking with a tour group in the mountains of Vienna, Austria.

Park City School District Superintendent Ray Timothy said 18-year-old Christopher Yeates "was a fine young kid."

"He had just graduated, and he really had a lot going for him," Timothy said. The district had received multiple calls from parents of travelers on the same trip in Austria, reporting what had happened before hearing official word.

"We found out from them before the embassy had contacted the parents," he said, adding that the news had "obviously shaken" Yeates' family.

"It's news you never want to hear," Timothy said.

Yeates had opted into the trip to Europe with several of his classmates. The voyage had become a popular destination for many graduates of Park City High, but the trip was not affiliated with the district or the high school.

The group of about 80 participants, some from Park City High, was led by John Krenkel, a history teacher and academic decathlon coach who recently retired from teaching after 25 years at the Park City school. The 39-day journey began 15 days ago in Brussels, Belgium, and is scheduled to convene in Venice today, hitting cities in Italy along the way and ending in Paris in a couple of weeks.

"It's a very esoteric tour, areas that are off the beaten path," said Michael Forhan, director of corporate development for Passports Inc., which sponsored the trip. He said the various spots along the tour are reflections of Krenkel's experience with traveling in Europe.

Krenkel has led multiple student tours to Europe and had hiked the popular Grossglockner, the highest point in Austria, twice before Monday's adventure. Forhan said the group was in the process of making the six-to-seven-hour hike down the mountain after the "serene experience" of a grand, panoramic view.

In his 38 years of travel group experience, Forhan said there has never been such an accident and he "can't imagine" how all involved must feel to be a part of it.

"One's greatest fear is something happening to your children," he said, adding that the company will provide Yeates' family with "whatever they need."

The family is scheduled to go to Austria in the next few days. A few of the trip participants will also be returning home early.

Passports Inc. has been leading the educational tours through Europe and other countries for years, and Timothy said students at Park City High have been interested in and have enjoyed the the trip for more than 17 years.