8legs: Broads fork trail, usa

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crime1d ago

Kids ask 'will we freeze' as dad accused of abandoning them on mountain

A Utah father, Micah Smith, is charged with multiple felony counts related to allegedly torturing and abusing his three children after leaving them on a mountain during dangerous weather.
The three children, ages two, four, and eight, were abandoned on Broads Fork Trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon as severe weather loomed after the hike began on October 11.
Rescuers found the two younger children in critical condition and the older child distressed, prompting on-scene care and CPR during the descent.
Investigators say Smith told rescuers he was stressed and claimed one child was dead, a claim reflected in the indictment and rescue reports.
The hike was described as strenuous for a family: a five-mile round trip with significant elevation, not appropriate for young children.
Rescue teams encountered Smith on the trail as storms worsened, with weather turning misty, foggy, and wet, while he claimed one child was dead.
During the descent, a daughter asked, 'Are we going to freeze to death, Daddy?', capturing the children’s fear.
The descent reportedly took place around 8 p.m., as weather shifted to mist, fog, rain, and hail.
Salt Lake County prosecutors say the hike was not suitable for children, and the case is being pursued as serious felonies.
Smith remains detained without bail as prosecutors review charges and evidence from the 24-hour ordeal.

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