Crews recover body of hiker

BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON — Salt Lake County Search and Rescue crews Tuesday recovered the body of a 17-year-old hiker who died in Big Cottonwood Canyon after falling an estimated 450 feet.

The body of James Nathaniel Henrie was brought off the mountain about 11:30 a.m. He and his best friend, Eric Douglas Fogg, 17, both set off on a hike Monday to Twin Peaks.

They were near their destination, at an altitude of about 10,000 feet, when they somehow got off the trail and fell. Fogg fell an estimated 100 feet. Neither investigators nor family members were completely sure Tuesday how the boys fell.

Doug Fogg, Eric's father, said both boys were experienced outdoorsmen who had made numerous hikes before, including one to the top of King's Peak in the Uintas, Utah's highest point.

"This was their backyard," he said of the mountainous terrain.

Searchers began looking for the boys after receiving a garbled cell phone call about 4:30 p.m. Monday. They found Eric Fogg on a steep ledge about 8 p.m. and rescued him using a Life Flight helicopter.

Doug Fogg said his son had a fractured skull, broken arm, broken wrist and cuts all over his body including deep wounds in his knees.

Eric Fogg underwent surgery at a local hospital. His father said doctors expected him to make a full recovery and to be released in three to four days. Fogg's family had not had a chance by Tuesday afternoon to talk to their son about what had happened.

Search crews were forced to wait until Tuesday morning to recover Henrie's body. Salt Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Mike Morgan said it was a tricky effort because of the steep and unstable terrain.

There was also the threat of an avalanche as a 5-foot deep slab of snow was on the side of the mountain above Henrie's body, Morgan said.

After surveying the area using helicopters from the Department of Public Safety and Life Flight, search crews were lowered into the area by a winch from a helicopter. They carried the body to an open area where the Life Flight helicopter could land.

Doug Fogg said his son and Henrie had just completed their junior years at Brighton High School and were best friends. Fogg was at the command post at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon Tuesday morning along with two of Henrie's uncles to watch searchers bring the body off the mountain.

"The boys grew up together. They're as close as brothers. (Henrie) was like my son, and my son was like their son. I felt compelled to be here this morning. Hopefully it will bring some peace to the family knowing he has friends."

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