Utah, United States

A 19-year-old American teenager met a tragic end after falling off a ledge at a popular canyon in Utah while he was trying to click photographs. 

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Jonathan Fielding had gone hiking with a group of friends near Moonscape Overlook in Torrey, Utah on Saturday (Feb 28). During hiking, he lost his footing and fell to his death. He fell approximately 300 feet and died immediately on impact.

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The teen, who was from Blue Springs, Missouri, had recently shifted to Orem, Utah, said his family, as reported by The Daily Mail. 

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He was called a 'photography enthusiast' by his loved ones. Moments before the tragedy occurred, Fielding had stopped to click photographs of the majestic views.

Teenager's death ruled 'accidental' 

His death was ruled by the Wayne County officials as accidental. 

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He was described by his grieving family as a "loving and caring son, brother, grandson, uncle, nephew, and cousin".

'While the passing of Jonathan was unexpected, we take some comfort knowing that he was doing what he loved at the time of the accident," the family wrote. "He was on a photoshoot with friends in the beautiful Utah wilderness where he loved to be," they added. 

In his obituary, Fielding was described as a "fun-loving, intelligent young man," and was called "Johnny" by his friends. 

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"He had big dreams and hopes focused on sales. More important than his dreams and future plans, however, Jonathan was a good person," the obituary read. 

"Jonathan truly cared about others. He would genuinely listen to you. He was truly a friend in every sense of the word," it added. 

"He had many friends and was an influence for good. He was always kind to others. He would often notice those that needed help and offered them assistance and encouragement," the family members wrote in the obituary. 

Taking to Facebook, his sister Rebecca Fielding said, "No view is worth your life. No view is worth the suffering that your family and friends will go through. No view is worth the risk that rescuers face when trying to save people and recover bodies. There was no reason for my brother to die. Please don’t make the same mistakes he did."

(With inputs from agencies)