A group of friends from Utah were hiking through the canyons near the Seven Teacups Trail in Tulare County on Friday when one jumped into a seemingly harmless pool of water.
Minutes later, three people were dead, having been trapped in a hot tub and drowned while trying to save each other.
Led by David Bell, 48, one of the founders of the non-profit organization Harrington Center for the Arts13 people had gone canyoneering – exploring a canyon by hiking, climbing or rappelling – in the Sierra Nevada near Johnsondale, the organization said in a social media post. One member of the group, Jeannine Skinner, 34, jumped in the poolbut she did not return to the surface and appeared to be caught in an undercurrent, Bell’s sister, Summerisa Bell Stevens, told KSL-TV.
Another member of the group, Peter On, 48, dove into the pool to help Skinner, and Bell followed him, Stevens said. On was able to get away from the current at one point but Skinner couldn’t reach his hand, so he went back in.
“[Then] Dave was able to get off the bike while On was knocked unconscious, but Dave saw that Skinner was still in the pattern, [so] he went back and tried to get her out, too,” Stevens said.
Their friends pulled them out of the pool within minutes, she said, but all three had lost consciousness and could not be revived.
“These are three amazing, amazing individuals who will be greatly missed by family, friends and the community at large,” Valecia Green, Bell’s older sister, told KSL.
The Tulare County Fire Department responded to a possible drowning around 5:20 p.m. Friday, and officials found three people dead at the scene, according to local media. Another person is said to have suffered serious injuries.
The fire department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.