Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Ice climber falls to his death in Montana national forest

Kyle Allen Rott fell to his death in Hyalite Canyon

Amelia Neath
Wednesday 29 November 2023 15:56 GMT
Comments
Montana man dies after falling while ice climbing in National Forest

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

An avid ice climber has died after a fall in Montana’s Hyalite Canyon.

Kyle Allen Rott, 36, a Montana resident known for his climbing adventures across the country, was identified by the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office as the man who died on Saturday.

At around 3.19pm, Gallatin County police received coordinates from a GPS device monitoring service near Grotto Falls in Hyalite Canyon in the Gallatin National Forest. Mr Rott’s SPOT beacon had been activated by a hiker who found him after the fall.

The hiker also called 911 to report that Rott was severely injured.

The sheriff’s office search and rescue volunteer team, Two Bear Air Rescue and Billings Clinic Med Flight helicopters were dispatched to Grotto Falls to find the injured climber.

The climber was found near Grotto Falls in Hyalite Canyon
The climber was found near Grotto Falls in Hyalite Canyon (KPAX-TV)

Rott was given initial medical treatment at the scene before being transported by helicopter to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.

A coroner determined he died from blunt force trauma to the head in the fall.

“Sheriff Dan Springer would like to express his condolences to Mr. Kyle Rott’s family in South Dakota and his friends. Sheriff Springer also thanks all the dedicated search and rescue members who responded so quickly.”

Mr Rott later succumbed to his injuries
Mr Rott later succumbed to his injuries (Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue)

In an obituary by KBZK, Rott had “a deep love for mountains, climbing, and exploration” and embarked on many expeditions such as in Black Hills of South Dakota, Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, Yosemite Valley in California, and Hyalite Canyon in Montana.

Amongst many environmental conservationist jobs, he was also a climbing guide at Yosemite National Park.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in