Southern Utah rock climbing community gathers support after losing one of their own to suicide
by Arianne Brown ksl · KSL.comKEY TAKEAWAYS
- Dan Smith, a 24-year-old rock climber from Utah, died by suicide June 1.
- Smith, who had a traumatic brain injury from an accident as a child, was known for his climbing skills and kind heart.
- The community mourns his loss, offering support for his wife and celebrating his life.
ST. GEORGE — The southern Utah rock climbing community is mourning the loss of fellow rock climber, Dan Smith, 24, who died by suicide. Smith died June 1, leaving behind his wife of just eight months and countless family members and friends who said his death was completely unexpected.
"He's been living with a traumatic brain injury that he got in PE when he was 12 years old," said friend and fellow climber, Michael Eardley. "He had micro seizures that would wake him up, and he was only able to get about 15 minutes of sleep at a time."
Eardley said that Smith was "really good" at managing his brain injury but would sometimes talk about the troubles he experienced due to a continued lack of sleep.
"We knew he had some real health issues with his traumatic brain injury, but he was so quiet about it," he said. "He would open up occasionally and just say things like, 'I haven't slept in so long,' and he would sometimes get brain fog."
Despite his struggles, Smith, a graduate of Snow Canyon High School, excelled at rock climbing and spent a lot of time on the sheer cliff faces of Zion National Park and the surrounding areas. Eardley recalled one time, in the dead of winter, climbing to the top of a cliff in Pine Valley with Smith as one of his most cherished memories.
"It was freezing cold, and it probably got down to negative 10 degrees at the very top," he said. "We just built a big fire, and even though it was so cold, Dan just wanted us to sit around the fire and talk about all the things we were grateful for. I remember him talking about how grateful he was for his friends and family and his ability to experience nature even in the worst conditions.
"We created little snow caves and jumped in them, and I was able to get some good pictures of that time," he added. "That's my favorite memory— just being able to go into the literal worst conditions possible and still think about our gratitude and appreciation for how much we loved the life we made."
Smith was at a stage of life where he was evolving to make more out of it, including taking his climbing skills into the professional world as an arborist. He started his own tree trimming business, which he called Tree Smith. Eardley said that Smith also loved photography and spending time with his wife, Lexi Jensen.
"He built his tree trimming business from the ground up," Eardley said. "He had only been doing it a few years, but he really worked hard and was able to get all the equipment, and he learned the trade pretty quickly and did a great job. He also welded his own truck so he could have a place for all the branches. It was fun watching him build it.
"His wife is the best, and they just had the best relationship and were really so good for each other," he continued. "It makes what happened that much more tragic."
The news of Smith's suicide sent shockwaves across the rock climbing community, and many have donated funds to help his wife navigate the financial burden.
"We've had a great response from the community, and we want to do anything we can to help support his wife through the financial struggles so that she can completely focus on healing as much as she can," Eardley said.
More than gathering funds, friends and family want to celebrate the life of their friend, who they said the climbing community looked up to and loved.
"Dan was extremely kind, and he was always worried about making sure everyone felt loved," Eardley said. "He was all about being a free spirit and living the fullest life that you can, and honestly, his death came at such a surprise to everybody."
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, June 13, at Contact Climbing Gym at 2875 E. 850 N. St., in St. George, beginning with a viewing starting at 5 p.m. and services starting at 7 p.m.
"It's such a perfect place for him to have that last little celebration," Eardley said. "He just loved climbing, and it shows how much the community loved him that they're willing to offer up their place."
Suicide prevention resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Crisis Hotlines
- Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
- SafeUT Crisis Line: 833-372-3388
- 988 Suicide and Crisis LifeLine at 988
- Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386
Online resources
- NAMI Utah: namiut.org
- SafeUT: safeut.org
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988lifeline.org
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Utah chapter: afsp.org/chapter/utah
Photos
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
Related topics
Southern UtahUtahFeaturesFeatures
Arianne Brown
Arianne Brown is a reporter covering southern Utah communities, with a focus on heart-warming stories and local happenings. She has been a reporter for 14 years.