Sister of 19-year-old who fell 60 metres to his death leaves haunting ‘final message’ on cliff in Utah

After 19-year-old Jonathan Fielding of Utah died in a horrific cliff fall in February, his sister returned to the scene months later planning to take her own life – but now she’s warning others instead.

Jonathan Fielding was hiking near the Moonscape Overlook when he slipped and fell 200 feet to his death. He had reached the edge of a cliff with his friends and stopped to take a photo when the ground beneath him began to crumble. Jonathan’s friends found him at the bottom of the canyon.

Months later, his sister Rebecca Fielding drove to the site where her brother died in Capitol Reef National Park. She brought along trinkets he would have liked and a journal. She wrote a note and planned to take her own life until she had “a moment” and changed her mind. One that many could relate to.

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She went home but left the diary behind, which other visitors pass around and write messages in. It has become a symbol of the sister’s love.

Rebecca Fielding said she was in a “really dark place” after her brother’s death and told CNN he was the person who loved her the most. She grew up in a religious family with autism and said her brother was the person she felt most comfortable around and “never judged” her. She planned to leave a diary with her final words at the cliff and jump.

But then the young woman experienced a moment on the cliff. “I felt the sun on my back and it felt like someone was hugging me,” Rebecca said. “And in that moment everything felt a little bit better and it didn’t feel so much like the end of the world anymore.”

So she got in the car and drove home to Missouri, leaving behind a bag of Takis chips, a Spiderman stuffed animal she’d bought at a gas station, and a couple of little plastic babies (an inside joke between her and her family) – and the diary. She had no idea what would happen next.

She left the diary behind and wrote a message that would be her last: “Jonathan Fielding, 5/5/2004 – 1/27/24, a soul too pure for this world, a child too fearless for his own good, a friend whose kindness knew no bounds,” she wrote on the first page.

“A son who could never disappoint, a brother whose love knew no bounds. A man who left a mark on this world the size of the Grand Canyon,” she continued.

She never expected anyone to see it, but it turns out that other visitors found the diary under a rock and started leaving their own notes in it. However, the little diary quickly weathered and began to fall apart.

So Rebecca drove back to the cliff, this time with a new, larger journal that was more “waterproof” than the last one. She left a new message. “I love you, brother. And thank you for loving me,” read the new first page. Her mother and other family members also wrote down their thoughts.

Months later, other hikers came across the diary and many left their own messages. “It was only when I reached this place that I read the pages carefully,” one of the hikers wrote in the diary on June 1. “Perhaps Jonathan wanted to experience one last adventure. What a magical place he chose.”

Over a dozen people have left comments, and the memorial diary now includes notes from Americans hiking from all over the world and even a Dutch couple. One of the hikers contacted Rebecca and sent her photos of some of the notes.

Then a new Facebook page was created for Jonathan’s travel diary. Rebecca asks anyone who finds the diary to leave a note or take it on an adventure and leave it there for someone else to find. She asked that photos be posted on the page to keep Jonathan’s memory alive.

Back in February, his family paid tribute to him, describing him as a “loving and caring son, brother, grandson, uncle, nephew and cousin.” They wrote: “Although Jonathan’s death was unexpected, we take some comfort in knowing that at the time of the accident he was doing what he loved. He was with friends on a photo shoot in the beautiful Utah wilderness, where he enjoyed being. He was a fun-loving, intelligent young man.”

They added: “He had big dreams and aspirations that focused on sales. But more important than his dreams and future plans, Jonathan was a good person. Jonathan genuinely cared about others. He would genuinely listen to you. He was a true friend in the truest sense of the word. He had many friends and was a positive influence.

“He was always kind to others. He often noticed those who needed help and offered support and encouragement. While Jonathan’s life span was limited, his impact on others was not. He was loved by many. He will be missed by all who knew him.”

His sister Rebecca Fielding traveled from Missouri to the canyon to seek comfort. She posted pictures of her brother on Facebook and wrote: “It was a tragic accident, but Jonathan should be a warning to any hiker or photographer.”

“No prospect is worth your life. No prospect is worth the suffering your family and friends are going through. No prospect is worth the risk that rescue workers face when they try to save people and recover bodies. There was no reason for my brother to die. Please don’t make the same mistakes he did.”