Rock climber dies after spending night dangling from rope in canyon

A dad has died and two others have required rescue after a canyoneering trip went horrifically wrong.

Andrew Arvig, 31, was rappelling down a rock face in Zion National Park in the US state of Utah at the exit of Heaps Canyon on Saturday with two others.

The National Park Service said Mr Arvig was the first to venture into the canyon, which the trio had difficulty with. They were rappelling, also known as abseiling, using fixed ropes.

Mr Arvig was meant to land on a small rock ledge where he had to re-anchor his rope in order to rappel the rest of the distance to the ground.

Instead, he rappelled about six metres past the ledge and was unable to return to the perch, leaving him suspended on his rope.

“The other members of the group used their ‘pull line’ to rappel to the perch. Mr Arvig was unable to ascend the 20 feet back to the perch," the department said.

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The two members managed to finally get a phone signal through on Saturday morning and were rescued by more than 30 crew members.

But Mr Arvig was found dead suspended from his rope, 260 feet above a pool.

Police and the department are still trying to determine how he died.

A GoFundMe page states Mr Arvig leaves behind a wife and two daughters.

He was also due to serve in Iraq next month.

“He served in his Church and community. He left behind a wife and two daughters,” the page reads.

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