Utah men under criminal investigation for toppling ancient rock

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Utah men under criminal investigation for topplingancient rock
By Matt Hamilton
12:58 p.m. CDT, October 18, 2013
Three Utah men took video of themselves topplingover an ancient rock formation in Utah’s Goblin Valley State Park are undercriminal investigation for their actions, officials said Friday.
After viewing the video -- which shows one manpushing at the top of a mushroom-like rock formation until the boulder breaksoff its rock stem and falls over -- parks officials immediately launched aninvestigation, Fred Hayes, director of the Utah Division of Parks andRecreation, told the Los Angeles Times.
Goblin Valley State Park, about a four-hour drivesouth of Salt Lake City, has thousands of similar rock formations, calledgoblins, which have been shaped by water and wind over millions of years
As one man toppled the rock another took the videowhile a third man looked on.
When the goblin -- also called a hoodoo -- tumbledoff its perch, the three men laugh, cheer and high-five.
“We have now modified Goblin Valley,” shouts DaveHall, who recorded the incident, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. “Muscles over here pushed it off,” says Hall,pointing to Glenn Taylor, a fellow Boy Scout leader and youth leader for the Churchof Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Taylor later told the Tribune that he was concernedby the fragile condition of the rock and the danger it posed to hikers.
“I put my hand on a rock and moved,” he said.“While we were sitting right there we thought, ‘Man if this rock falls it’llkill them.’ I didn’t have to push hard.”
The video, which was posted on Facebook, has beenremoved, but a copy posted by the Tribune had garnered more than 750,000 viewsas of Friday morning.
The Emery County district attorney’s office isassisting the criminal investigation, and will ultimately decide whether any ofthe men face charges, Hayes said.
Possible charges range from a class-B misdemeanorto a second-degree felony, the county’s deputy district attorney told the Tribune.
As for the trio's justification that they weredefending hikers from lethal hazards, Hayes said he is doubtful.
“I’ve watched the video several times -- and Idon’t see that concern expressed,” Hayes said.
Hayes said he could not recall any previousinstance in which a goblin tumbled over and injured hikers.
“We’ve had some injuries in the goblins,” saidHayes, “but they are usually twisted ankles.”

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