Teen dies in fall at Red Rock Canyon

Thursday, Dec. 9, 1999 | 11:51 a.m.

A 15-year-old Clark High School sophomore fell to his death at Red Rock Canyon after taking a different and more dangerous path than his teenage climbing buddies, Metro Police said.

Keri Sims of Las Vegas died Wednesday morning during the hiking incident where he attempted to descend a sharp ledge 15 miles west of Las Vegas.

"The three juveniles were coming down when two of them decided to go one way and the third went another way," Metro spokesman Officer Steve Meriwether said today. "The boy apparently slipped and fell about 80 feet."

Other hikers in the area tried to help Sims, Meriwether said, but he required immediate professional medical attention if there was a chance to save his life.

The 10:30 a.m. incident occurred near the Calico Basin outside the scenic loop at Red Rock in a remote area where police had to be flown in by helicopter.

Sims was already dead when Metro Search and Rescue unit officers, making their 113th attempted rescue of the year, arrived on the scene, police said.

Sims' body was removed from the area by helicopter.

Clark County School District officials today said Sims was in his sophomore year at Clark.

Police did not release the identities of his two friends because they are juveniles. It was not known whether they were classmates of Sims.

"He was a nice enough kid, fairly happy, an average student," Clark Principal Wayne Tanaka said today. "He was not excessively absent but had a truancy problem and had been out on required parent conferencing."

Sims was suspended from school pending the meeting between his parents and school officials.

Tanaka said grief counseling would be available for students and teachers today at the school.

The three boys had climbed about 500 feet to the peak when they decided to descend. Meriwether said the incident demonstrates that it is advisable when rock climbing to stay together and choose the safest route.

Meriwether said the other two boys apparently felt that the direction Sims chose was not the safest and tried another direction.

Sims was dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers and had no rope or other professional climbing gear, police said.