On Friday, 23-year old Matt Heffernan died while jumping from the “King Kong” area on the Causey Resevoir in northeastern Utah. The tragic accident occurred when Heffernan jumped for a fifth time, this time attempting a double backflip. He was halfway though the second spin when his face hit the water’s surface.
Due to darkness, search and rescue teams could not recover the body until Saturday morning. He was reported to have been found 50 ft. beneath the water’s surface according to the Deseret News.
In an interview with Freeskier Magazine’s Henrik Lampert, Ethan Stone of Downdays had this to say about Heffernan:
“Whether he was lacing a sketchy backcountry line or stepping up to an even sketchier urban setup, Heff’s abilities on two planks were unbelievably diverse, and he surely had a bright future ahead of him. From a photographer’s perspective, his cork 720 blunt was a masterpiece on the same order as the Mona Lisa—spun just right, grabbed just right—but then again, just about everything that Heff did on skis looked good, at ease, totally natural. Heff’s ability as a skier was surpassed only by his abilities as a human being. He had amazing reserves of kindness, patience, sympathy and friendship; could always be counted on to lend a helping hand; was courteous, respectful, and quick to make friends with anyone he met. He had an honest and straightforward air about him that made him impossible not to like.”
Heffernan was a University of Utah student but hailed from Cleveland, Ohio. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of his friends and family.