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‘This could have ended very badly’: UTA honors employees who saved man

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‘This could have ended very badly’: UTA honors employees who saved man


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SALT LAKE CITY — Chris Charlesworth was traveling on North Temple by Salt Lake City’s Fairpark neighborhood when an unusual call came across the Utah Transit Authority radio communication system.

Ediri Oyake was operating a UTA TRAX train a little way up the line just before 7 a.m. on April 29 and spotted someone lying on the ledge of the Triad Center parking garage behind the BYU Salt Lake Center. The person’s legs were dangling above the street and the situation didn’t look safe, at all. Charlesworth, a TRAX supervisor, knew Oyake well enough to know that if he thought something was wrong, it probably was.

So he quickly raced over to see what was happening. As he drove up the North Temple Bridge, he could see the man sitting at the top of the structure. His shoes had already fallen and it appeared he was preparing to jump off the large three-story structure.

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“I’m like, ‘That doesn’t look pretty good,’” Charlesworth told KSL.com, recalling the harrowing moments. “I just jumped out and left the truck and started to talk to him, see what’s going on.”

He and a couple there at the time talked with the man, trying to back him away from the ledge. As the other couple continued to engage with the man for a minute or two longer, Charlesworth ran up to the top of the structure and tried to intervene from the top, while also calling for police backup.

The man held a cigarette in one hand and something in his other hand, commanding Charlesworth to back up as he began a conversation with the man. Charlesworth asked the individual about his favorite music, food and perhaps what he’d do later in the day if he came down.

“(It was) those types of questions, to be able to build that relationship and be able to let him know I see him and I recognize that he’s a human, and he’s more valuable than what he’s thinking,” he said. “He was frustrated, there was some sadness.”

It took about five minutes but the man eventually backed away before police and firefighters arrived. He threatened another jump but first responders were able to secure the man and provide the help he needed at the moment.

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UTA officials recognized Oyake and Charlesworth for their swift actions last month during the agency’s board of trustees meeting on Wednesday.

“If it weren’t for both of their actions, I think this could have ended very badly,” said Tony Berger, TRAX operations supervisor at Utah Transit Authority.

What happened on April 29 is unfortunately a situation that UTA encounters on a fairly regular basis, which is it has deployed ways to intervene. UTA Board of Trustees Chairman Carlton Christensen told a joint KSL-Deseret News editorial board earlier this month that another employee also recently prevented a suicide attempt before the teenage individual was able to be reconnected with their parents.

The agency began investing more in night cameras and other technologies so that operators are aware when someone is on the railway, as one of the efforts to prevent deaths.

“It’s hard on those families, obviously, and it’s also hard on our engineers,” Christensen said.

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In this case, it was all about awareness. While Oyake wasn’t able to attend the meeting, Berger commended the operator for his ability to notice the situation. He explained that with the roadway, railroad switch and sidewalks, there’s a lot happening in the area to pay attention to.

A green line TRAX train passes the Triad Center parking garage Wednesday morning.
A green line TRAX train passes the Triad Center parking garage Wednesday morning. (Photo: Carter Williams, KSL.com)

It’s easy to miss what’s happening around any of the buildings, much less, the top of a parking structure.

“There’s a lot going on that Ediri should be watching for, so to also do that safely, as well as notice someone laying on top of this parking garage, was exceptional,” Berger said.

UTA also normally wouldn’t handle a case like this, as its jurisdiction is only the property it owns; however, Charlesworth said it was clearly a dire situation.

He hopes nobody ever finds themselves in the spot he found himself in on April 29 but if they do that they don’t hesitate to help out.

“Don’t be afraid to take that risk to talk to them because you don’t know what they need. They may just need you to say ‘hello’ and to recognize that they’re a person, they’re human,” he said. “We sometimes don’t take the right action because we’re afraid to say the wrong thing or cross the line and interfere with someone but that could be the difference.”

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Suicide prevention resources

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Crisis Hotlines

  • Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
  • SafeUT Crisis Line: 833-372-3388
  • 988 Suicide and Crisis LifeLine at 988
  • Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386

Online resources

Warning signs

Warning signs of suicide

  • Talking about wanting to die
  • Looking for a way to kill oneself
  • Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose
  • Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
  • Talking about being a burden to others
  • Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
  • Acting anxious, agitated or recklessly
  • Sleeping too little or too much
  • Withdrawing or feeling isolated
  • Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
  • Displaying extreme mood swings

The more of these signs a person shows, the greater the risk. Warning signs are associated with suicide but may not be what causes a suicide.

Information from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

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What to do if you see warning signs of suicide

  • Do not leave the person alone
  • Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt
  • Call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255)
  • Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional

Information from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

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Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com.

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Utah

Utah is now completely out of drought status

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Utah is now completely out of drought status


SALT LAKE CITY — For the first time in five years, the entire state of Utah is out of a drought status.

The latest map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows no part of the state being in drought status, though about 25% is still considered abnormally dry.

“Portions of the state, mainly along that eastern and southern border, are abnormally dry,” KSL Meteorologist Matt Johnson said. “But basically, we are completely out of a drought.”

Johnson says this is because Utah’s most recent wet winters have been crucial in restoring the state’s water supply.

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“We’ve had two really good winters, one of them record-setting, as far as snow-water equivalent. So this has been huge for getting us on the right path.”

However, Johnson said whether we stay out of drought conditions will be contingent on how hot it gets this summer, and how much rain Utah gets when monsoon season hits. 

“If we’re not in a drought, now we are planning for the next,” Johnson said, quoting a saying from The Utah Department of Natural Resources. “That just kind of comes with the territory…we are one of the top three driest on average so it’s not foreign territory for us to have dry weather.”

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“Planting parties” at Utah Lake working to rid the lake of invasive phragmites

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“Planting parties” at Utah Lake working to rid the lake of invasive phragmites


UTAH COUNTY, Utah — The Utah Lake Authority is hosting “planting parties” to put native vegetation in places where invasive plant species had previously been spreading.

Phragmites are a type of reed that have been taking over at Utah Lake and places across the country. Utah Lake Authority’s Deputy Director Sam Braegger said they have been partnering with other agencies to keep the phragmites at bay.

Now Braegger said they’re working toward revegetation with lots of groups who want to help them plant more native species.

“It’s been great to have groups come and help in that way, and I think they find it very fulfilling to spend an hour or two on the shoreline,” he said. “Our staff are all out there with them. They get to learn and ask questions about the lake. And then, help give back in putting plants into the ground.”

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Utah Lake Authority has spent more than 15 years dealing with phragmites, according to Braegger.

“Beating back the phragmites has been necessary for some time because phragmites is very aggressive,” he said. “It grows in very thickly, so it’s terrible habitat. There’s not very much of wildlife, birds and fish, that can get in there.”

This is the Utah Lake Authority’s first time doing a “concentrated revegetation” effort.

“We’ve put out some seed before, in recent years, but just seed is all we’ve done,” Braegger said. “This year, for the first time, we’re going out and actually planting 10,00 plugs.”

Braegger said the goal is to plant over 40,000 seed plugs next year.

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Heather Peterson is a reporter and producer for KSL NewsRadio. She also produces Utah’s Noon News.

Potentially toxic algal bloom detected at Utah Lake

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Videos show fireworks veer into crowd at Stadium of Fire concert in Utah, injuries reported

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Videos show fireworks veer into crowd at Stadium of Fire concert in Utah, injuries reported


Multiple videos have surfaced Thursday evening showing a fireworks display at the Stadium of Fire concert in Provo, Utah, with rogue shots straying into the audience. Early reports state that one person was taken to a hospital with serious injuries while others were reportedly injured.

Several firefighters immediately responded to reports of injuries in the crowd, according to Fox 13 in Salt Lake City.

Fireworks at large gatherings in Utah are nothing new, like the ones that lit up the sky above the stadium for the grand finale of the Opening Ceremony of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games at the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium. (Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

The incident happened at LaVell Edwards Stadium, the football facility for Brigham Young University. Just as the national anthem is heard ending, and as four fighter jets fly over the stadium, a fireworks display begins behind the stage.

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Fireworks shot into the sunlit sky vertically, but stray sparks are seen firing horizontally into the crowd near the stage. Crowdgoers were reportedly seen waving their hands in the air for officials to render help.

Freedom Festival, which facilitates Stadium of Fire and other yearly events across the country, tweeted that all fireworks were “thoroughly checked” before Thursday’s show and then checked again after the incident.

“Safety is of the utmost importance to us. All pyrotechnics at Stadium of Fire are thoroughly checked before the show, and were rechecked after tonight’s incident. Our thoughts are with those who were impacted, and we are following up with them to make sure they are okay.”

UTAH FIRE CAPTAIN DIES IN COLORADO RAFTING ACCIDENT AT DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT

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After a pause in activities, the concert resumed with Jonas Brothers taking the stage around 9 p.m. and closing out the show with no other reported mishaps.

Provo Police Department spokesperson Janna-Lee Holland told KUTV the incident happened just after the flyover.

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The number of injuries and each of their severities is unknown at the time.

Videos like the one seen in this tweet show pyrotechnics not only firing into the stands, but also onto the field where people were either standing or in a seated area.

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