A 16-year-old boy died Wednesday, Aug. 19, after falling several hundred feet while rock scrambling along the ridgeline of Devil's Castle near Alta, according to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.

The teen was with three companions on what the sheriff's office described as "extremely difficult terrain" when he fell around 7 p.m. Another hiker in the area witnessed the fall and called 911.

The Utah Department of Public Safety Aero Bureau located the boy from the air and guided ground crews to his position. When paramedics reached him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Unified Fire Authority, which serves Cottonwood Heights, was among the agencies that responded alongside Salt Lake County Search and Rescue, the Alta Marshal's Office and AirLife emergency medical transport. Rescuers separately helped the three other hikers safely descend from the ridgeline.

Witnesses told KUTV they saw a group of young adults scrambling the front side of Devil's Castle where there did not appear to be a trail.

The sheriff's office had not released the teen's identity as of Thursday, Aug. 20. No details about his three companions were made public.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said in a statement Thursday: "I am grateful to our Search and Rescue volunteers and all of the responding agencies who worked together in extremely difficult terrain to reach the group and bring the remaining hikers to safety."

Salt Lake County Search and Rescue issued a safety warning alongside the announcement, noting that scrambling often involves exposed terrain where a slip or loss of balance can have catastrophic consequences. The team said routes like Devil's Castle can become significantly more serious than they appear from the trailhead or from a distance.

The Devil's Castle Loop climbs nearly 1,500 feet over about 4 miles, passing Cecret Lake before reaching the ridge through Albion Basin. AllTrails rates it strenuous and notes the rock scrambling near the summit is best suited for experienced hikers.

It is not the first fatality at the site. In 1973, an 18-year-old from Sandy died after falling about 100 feet while hiking down from Devil's Castle, according to a Salt Lake Tribune historical reference.

The sheriff's office said the Devil's Castle area was temporarily closed Thursday while law enforcement worked the scene and was expected to reopen Friday, Aug. 21.