‘He was my person’: Daughter speaks on man killed in canyoneering accident

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The family of a man who died while on a canyoneering adventure is speaking on his legacy and the impact of his loss. Edwin Woolley was canyoneering in the San Rafael Swell on June 19 when he was killed in an accident, leaving behind his wife and four children. His eldest, Sadie, says she lost more than a father in the accident. "My dad was not only my father, but he was my best friend," she said. "I told him everything. We'd go see movies together. We'd go skiing every Saturday together. We just loved to be outside. We especially loved going to hockey games. He was my person." According to Sadie, her dad was one of the funniest people she knew, and he was constantly lending a helping hand to others, including by helping his brother, who was paralyzed in a car accident when he was 26. "He said he would always take care of his brother until the day that he died, and that's exactly what he did," Sadie said, adding, "He loved to be around his friends and family, he loved to talk to his friends and his family, and every spare moment was spent having fun." Sadie says she will miss a lot about her father, but what she misses most of all is his laugh and his hugs. She says, "Every day when he got home from work, I always remember being so excited to see him and giving him the biggest hug and trying to make him laugh, and it was always pretty easy." "He leaves behind so much. My dad leaves behind so many friends, his kids, obviously my mom who misses him so much. He had so many roles as a caregiver, a father, a neighbor, uncle, father, and friend. He leaves behind so many vacant roles," she continued. Sadie also says her dad was doing what he loved and never wasted a second of his life. She said, "My dad chased his dreams. He loved his life so much because he worked so hard to do what he loved. I would tell people to not take a moment for granted and to always chase your dreams and do what you love." "I think my dad was an absolute legend, just always loving on people and helping them make the most of their lives," she continued. "He always knew that life wasn't promised and that he had to make the most of it, and every spare second he had, he would go hiking or motorcycling." And, while her family is dealing with the loss of Eddie, Sadie says she keeps trying to remember that he is still with them in spirit. She recently started her first college classes and says, "My dad was so excited for me to go to BYU and start college, even though he is a massive University of Utah fan. He would be so proud that I was there and taking classes, and I like to remember that." She also hopes to carry on his legacy and is pursuing athletics, with the goal of working in the National Hockey League (NHL) to honor the many Mammoth games she and her dad attended together. Her family has started a GoFundMe to help recover from the funeral costs and to help Sadie and her siblings pay for college. In the meantime, she wants people to keep talking about Eddie and his legacy. She'll be carrying it on in her way as well: "I think what my dad would tell me and my siblings and my mom is to keep being close. We always were a tight-knit family... I think he's cheering us on every day." Alexa McFadden contributed to this reporting