PAGE — On Sunday, January 17, 2016 a private group of professional technical climbers engaged by family members rappelled down to the location where the body of 29 year old Mathew Kenney of Santa Cruz, CA came to rest. Those rescuers lowered the body to a slope where Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue helicopter and crew based out of Kingman, AZ performed a one skid landing. The DPS helicopter off-loaded a Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue technician and was able to conduct a long line extraction of the body to Lees Ferry where it was released to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Technical Rescue Team members and National Park Service helicopter from Grand Canyon had previously attempted a body recovery by helicopter on Thursday, January 14, 2016. Due to safety issues and incoming weather, the recovery was suspended and additional plans were discussed for a technical recovery.

Mathew Kenney died on January 12, 2016 when he was wing-suiting in the Paria Canyon – Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area within the BLM Arizona Strip District approximately 15 miles north of Lees Ferry. His body was located in the steep canyon walls.