Three friends killed in freak accident on vacation after they were sucked into whirlpool while trying to cool off

THREE tourists have died after they got sucked into a whirlpool while on a group trip in California.

Utah natives Jeannine Skinner, 34, David Bell, 48, and Pete On, 48, were hiking the Seven Teacups trail when they decided to take a dip in the river to cool off.

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The trio was hiking with a larger group on Friday north of Bakersfield in California but later veered off on their own.

At one point, Skinner decided to jump from a four-foot drop into a pool of water, NBC affiliate KSLTV reported.

What she didn’t know was that a whirlpool was hidden below the surface of the Kern River.

Bell and On immediately became concerned when they noticed Skinner hadn’t resurfaced.

“At first they didn’t understand what was going on,” Summerisa Bell Stevens, Bell’s sister, told KSLTV.

“There was a circular current that they think was caused by either a large log or a rock that was pushed into that area. Pete immediately jumped into the water to help Jeannine. 

“At one point he got out and he was able to get away from the current and extended his hand and she couldn’t reach it so he went back in to try to get her.”

All three hikers wound up getting trapped in the strong current.

“Dave was able to get himself out of the cycle at the same time that Pete went unconscious, but Dave saw that Jeannine was still in the pattern, he went back and tried to get her out as well,” Stevens said.

The three friends all lost consciousness and were pulled out of the water by the rest of the group seven minutes later.

Fellow hikers performed CPR for 20 minutes, but unfortunately, it was too late.

The bodies of Skinner, Bell, and On were brought back to Utah on Saturday and funeral services are yet to be announced.

The 4-mile trail they were hiking is considered a difficult route and requires scrambling over slippery rocks, often in the hot sun.

The river itself features a series of small pools, which are called teacups.

The group was on a canyoneering trip, an outdoor excursion where adventurers explore canyons, often by following a water route.

“These are all really experienced people and one of them was a nurse practitioner,” Stevens said. 

“We’ve been able to get a little bit of closure by talking to the people there.”

LOVED ONES DEVASTATED

Friends and family are publicly grieving the deaths of the three Utahns.

Stevens described her 48-year-old brother as a kindhearted soul who was friends with everyone.

“I think that is where he thrived. There wasn’t anything that he wouldn’t do for anyone,” she said.

“He helped people achieve a goal and then feel the joy from that,” Valecia Green, Bell’s older sister, told KSLTV. 

“He loved being outside, (and) he felt like he connected with God outside.”

“These are three amazing, amazing individuals that will be very missed by family, friends and the community at large,” Green continued.

A Facebook group dedicated to the three travelers has over 600 members, with hundreds of people posting in memory of the victims.

MEMORIES LIVE ON

One friend of On’s, Samantha Santos, praised her pal for helping her improve her climbing, even if it was only for a short time.

“Some people come into our lives quickly and change us forever. That was my experience with Pete,” Santos posted.

“He patiently encouraged me to do my first rock climbing. He helped me overcome my fears in a safe and prudent way. 

“He helped me see that we can turn fear into strength through small things. I am eternally grateful for that.”

Skinner’s father, Larry Alfred Skinner, posted a link to a GoFundMe made to help the families cover their loved one’s funeral costs.

“I’m Jeannine’s dad, Larry Alfred Skinner. Thank you for your kind words,” he wrote on Facebook, linking the GoFundMe page.

In addition to a fundraising campaign, a marathon will also be held in the three hiker’s honor.

The marathon is in Payson, Utah, on September 7.