Ancient formation » 3 Scout leaders claim they worried the rock would fall and hurt someone.
A group of Boy Scout leaders is potentially facing felony charges for destroying a rock formation nearly 200 million years old in Emery County.
The trio of men was adventuring in Goblin Valley State Park when they decided to film themselves knocking over one of the formations, known as "goblins." They said later it appeared to them that it was ready to fall and might hurt someone.
After the rock falls, the three men laugh, cheer and high five each other.
Park officials said the formation’s rock dates back to the Jurassic period nearly 200 million years ago.
Glenn Taylor said Thursday afternoon that he was the man who pushed over the formation, while Dave Hall filmed and Dylan Taylor looked on. According to Taylor, he and Hall are leaders for a local troop of the Boy Scouts of America. Hall added that the men also were acting as Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints youth leaders.
Taylor said he knocked the boulder to the ground after seeing a family walk by on a nearby popular path. When he touched the rock, Taylor noticed it was loose .
"I put my hand on a rock and it moved," he said. "While we were sitting right there we thought, ‘Man if this rock falls it’ll kill them.’ I didn’t have to push hard."
Taylor said that at the time he thought he was doing a "civic service" by taking down a loose rock. However, as he walked back to his car, he began thinking that he should have contacted a ranger about the loose rock. He also said he wished he could take back his actions.
"Glad we did it, wish we wouldn’t have done it," he said Thursday of his feelings about the incident.
Hall agreed with Taylor and added that the park was especially crowdedthat day, Oct. 11, due to national park closures during the government shutdown. The men were worried that a child would be crushed by the boulder, he said, and during his time in the park he only saw one ranger, who was stationed at the entrance.
"With the information we had we made the best decision we could," he said. "We weren’t there for vandalism or anything like that."
