Father and son die in Central California hiking accident

Use this forum to stay informed on missing persons alerts, active SAR's and unfortunate hiker accidents we can all hopefully learn from. Any information you may have on a missing person, including first hand weather related information or any other insight (however little) may prove to be critical information to Law Enforcement / SAR in locating the person in question.
Post Reply
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Father and son die in Central California hiking accident

Post by rlown »

dt.common.streams.StreamServer.jpeg
Father and son who died in Central California hiking accidents loved to explore

ASSOCIATED PRESS BY ASSOCIATED PRESS | November 16, 2016, 7:39AM | Updated 2 hours ago.

SHAVER LAKE — A man who plunged to his death along with his son while the two were hiking in Central California's Shaver Lake was identified Tuesday as an archaeologist who loved to explore and go on adventures with his son.

Todd Byers' body was recovered late Monday, Fresno County Sheriff's spokesman Tony Botti said.

Byers, 49, and his 14-year-old son, Brayden, were walking Saturday along a hiking trail in an area known as Shaver Rock, on the west side of the lake, when they fell off an embankment and died. Deputies and firefighters responded to the area, along with a sheriff's helicopter, but the pair had fallen into a deep canyon and rescue crews were unable to reach them. Both bodies were recovered Monday.

Todd Byers of Clovis was an archaeologist who worked in the state Department of Transportation and loved to explore. His son Brayden was a ninth-grade student at Clovis High School who was always happy to join his father on an adventure, the Fresno Bee reported.

The father and son were in the mountains, near Shaver Lake, doing what "our dad loved best - they were hiking around and looking for treasures," according to a GoFundMe account for the family.

But the hike ended in tragedy when the pair, who were at Shaver Rock on the west side of the lake, fell about 400 feet off an embankment into a deep canyon to their deaths, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said. The GoFundMe page said the pair wandered off the trail. The sheriff's office has no other details about what happened.

The Department of Transportation said Todd was passionate about his work and was a committed employee with a great sense of humor, providing his co-workers with many laughs over the years.
Source: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/63146 ... artslide=0
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11823
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Father and son die in Central California hiking accident

Post by maverick »

This is where their bodies were recovered from, approx 400 feet down from where they had fallen from. :(
Attachments
unnamed.jpg
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
User avatar
Tom_H
Topix Expert
Posts: 795
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:11 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Camas, WA

Re: Father and son die in Central California hiking accident

Post by Tom_H »

:( Sad :(
User avatar
limpingcrab
Topix Regular
Posts: 368
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:38 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Minkler, CA
Contact:

Re: Father and son die in Central California hiking accident

Post by limpingcrab »

Oh man, that's awful.

Is Shaver Rock that dome along the creek near the road below the dam?
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Father and son die in Central California hiking accident

Post by rlown »

It is sad. I don't go near "edges" anymore. Can't balance with a view of heights. I still don't understand how two go down unless 1 was trying to rescue the other. Guess we'll never know.
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11823
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Father and son die in Central California hiking accident

Post by maverick »

Is Shaver Rock that dome along the creek near the road below the dam?
I too thought this was located on the western side of the lake as the AP article mentioned, but on the 12th, received this press release, in which the Fresno Sheriff's Office says Shaver Rock is located on the northeastern side of the lake. :confused:
Attachments
112116 Hiking Accident Turns Deadly for Father and Son.pdf
(270.86 KiB) Downloaded 312 times
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Father and son die in Central California hiking accident

Post by rlown »

Wow.. It's Wed now and both reports are in conflict. hmmm.
User avatar
AlmostThere
Topix Addict
Posts: 2724
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:38 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Father and son die in Central California hiking accident

Post by AlmostThere »

Well, shoot. When I was part of Fresno SAR we had trainings at Shaver Rock and were parking in a pullout downstream from the dam, on the west side of the lake. Maybe there are multiple Shaver Rocks? Also there is no hiking trail near the Shaver Rock I am familiar with.
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11823
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Father and son die in Central California hiking accident

Post by maverick »

Received clarification and the Shaver Rock referenced by the Sheriff's Dept is on the western side of the lake.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
User avatar
Snowtrout
Topix Regular
Posts: 294
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:06 pm
Experience: Level 3 Backpacker
Location: Fresno, CA

Re: Father and son die in Central California hiking accident

Post by Snowtrout »

I was up there fishing Shaver on Sunday and yes, the rock area below/west of the dam was the area of the accident. Probably +25 cars and trucks lined both sides of the road right there when I drove past around 1 pm. Never did see or hear a helicopter though.

Sad situation.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests