Friends remembered 16-year-old Michael Garrett Sears with candles and stories days after the fatal fall.
FRUIT HEIGHTS, Utah — Dozens gathered with candles at Wilderness Park late this week to honor 16-year-old Michael Garrett Sears, who died after climbing a Rocky Mountain Power pole and falling about 60 feet on Monday, Nov. 10, authorities said. The Davis County Sheriff’s Office said the teen suffered burns consistent with electrocution and died at a hospital.
Neighbors, classmates and family friends described a close-knit community reeling from a sudden loss and a familiar location. Investigators say Sears was with a small group of teens near 1800 East and 700 South when he climbed the tower just after 9:15 p.m. His death comes 18 years after 15-year-old Scott Nye died at the same structure in 2007, a parallel that weighed on mourners this week. School leaders at Layton High confirmed crisis counselors were on campus as students processed the news and the sheriff’s office continued its inquiry into what exactly happened on the hilltop.
At the vigil, classmates laid flowers and sports drinks at the base of a memorial already standing for Nye. “He was my best friend, the best person I’ve ever met,” said Dean Addie, who told mourners he and Sears became “like brothers.” Family friend Christina Judd thanked neighbors for “an overwhelming” show of support. The gathering followed a week of drop-by tributes at the site, where teens placed items they said reminded them of Sears. Investigators said the group with Sears called 911 and stayed with him until first responders arrived. Farmington Fire transported him to a local hospital, where he later died, officials said.
Officials with the Davis County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains active. Spokeswoman Stephanie Dinsmore said deputies arrived to find severe burns and traumatic injuries from the fall. The exact cause of death—electrocution or impact—will be determined by the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner, according to authorities. Rocky Mountain Power said crews shut off electricity in the area after the fall to protect responders, leaving more than 4,000 customers briefly without service. The company said the pole bears warnings against climbing and that it is cooperating with the sheriff’s office. The teen’s name was initially withheld; KUTV later identified him as Michael Garrett Sears.
Monday’s incident unfolded at a vantage point the community knows well. In 2007, Nye died after climbing the same tower with friends, according to memorial text still affixed near the base. Residents said they’ve long viewed the hill as a gathering spot at sunset. Some returned this week, upset that two similar tragedies had happened at the same place nearly two decades apart. Longtime Fruit Heights resident Julia Busche said her “heart just breaks” that another family is now grieving the way Nye’s family did. The earlier memorial urges young people to pause and think before risky choices; friends said that message now carries a newly painful echo.
Authorities described the Monday outing as a group of four or five teens who went to take in the view before one climbed the structure. Dinsmore said the fall appears accidental. The sheriff’s office has not announced any citations or findings beyond the pending medical examiner ruling. Rocky Mountain Power did not outline any permanent changes to the site but said it will review conditions with local officials. Layton High Principal Brock Jackman told families counselors would remain available as students grieve. No timetable has been set for an official report from investigators.
Through tears at the vigil, friends spoke of Sears’s humor and hugs, and of days that feel strangely quiet. “Garrett was always funny, always had a very silly face,” Judd said. Others said they would keep stopping by the hillside to remember him. Bouquets ringed the tower’s base by the weekend, with candles flickering in the wind. As mourners left, several paused to read the older memorial, then tucked new notes alongside it—two tragedies now bound by the same tower and a community resolved to remember both boys.
The investigation remains open. The medical examiner’s ruling is pending, and the sheriff’s office has not set a date for a formal update. Layton High said student support will continue this week as classes resume.
Author note: Last updated November 17, 2025.