- Large boulder crushed Orem man searching for topaz in West Juab County
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RECOVERY • West Juab EMT’s and emergency personnel recover the remains of Kevin Moore, 57, Orem. Moore died in the rock slide at Topaz Mountain
By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Thursday, May 6, an Orem man was killed in a rock slide at Topaz Mountain in West Juab County.
Kevin Alan Moore, 57, Orem, died when he was buried in the slide.
At approximately 3 p.m., the Juab County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting the accident, said Deputy Brent Pulver, Juab County Sheriff’s Office.
“The victim was a longtime visitor to the area with the hobby of looking for topaz,” said Pulver. “He was with two friends when the incident occurred.”
Topaz Mountain is one of the world’s great places to find topaz, a semiprecious gemstone that occurs as hard transparent crystals.The mountain is located in a remote area where there is no water and no services provided.
Pulver said that deputies from the Juab County Sheriff’s Office, along with Eureka’s West Juab County Ambulance and a rescue crew from Delta, responded to the scene.
“Once deputies arrived it was verified that the Mr. Moore was deceased and a recovery operation was planned,” Pulver said. “Rescue arrived and was able to recover the victim and transport him down the mountain side.”
Deputies and rescue personnel hiked to the location of the slide which was about 1,000 yards up the mountain side in very steep terrain, said Pulver.
Topaz Mountain is composed of a volcanic rock known as rhyolite.
“According to the witnesses the victim was in a hole digging for topaz when a large rock broke loose from above,” Pulver said. “The rock fell on top of him, crushing him before rolling off.”
Pulver said the rock was approximately 8-feet in length and about 5-feet in diameter.
The Thomas Range and Topaz Mountain are located about 30 miles northwest of Delta. Lynndyl is about 50 miles away from the mountain.
To get to Topaz Mountain from Nephi, Juab County Deputies must travel southwest on Highway 132 for about 34 miles to the town of Lynndyl and the junction with Highway 6. They then continue south on U.S. Highway 6 for about 5 miles to state road 174 and then turn west onto the signed Brush Wellman Road. Officers must then drive northwest on the paved road for about 37 miles, to the signed dirt road leading up to Topaz Mountain.
The route from Eureka is about the same length, within a few miles, and travels past the Little Sahara sand dunes.
A one-way trip from Provo is about 130 miles.
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