Three friends from Utah drowned Friday night after being caught in a whirlpool while rappelling in the Sierra Nevada mountains, reports KSL.com.

David Bell, Jeannine Skinner, and Peter On were among a group of 13 on a canyoneering trip at Seven Teacups in Tulare County. Bell’s sister, Cyndi Miller, said in a Facebook post that Skinner was the first to get caught in the whirlpool on a tributary of the Kern River. On and Bell descended to help, but all three drowned.

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“(Jeannine and David) dated off and on for the past couple years,” Miller told KSL.com. “Just two weeks ago he told us, ‘I think I’m going to marry Jeannine.’ ”

Dan Ibarra, Bell’s college friend, said he wasn’t surprised Bell died trying to help others.

“David Bell lived and loved passionately,” Ibarra wrote. “It comes as no surprise to me that he died yesterday attempting to save his friends. Anyone who spent any amount of time with him immediately knew his quality.”

Bell, known in the running community as the owner of Runtasic Events, was the son of Carrol Bell and the late Dr. Carl Bell. His company organized races like the Haunted Half and Nebo Marathon. Seth Wold, a close friend, described Bell as “a great man and an unbelievably amazing friend.”

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Memorial events for Bell, Skinner, and On are being planned. A GoFundMe has been set up to cover Bell’s funeral costs and to bring him home to Utah. Skinner’s family has also created a fundraising site for her funeral expenses.

“Pete will be deeply missed by all who knew him,” read an obituary for On, “but his sense of adventure, his free-spirited nature, and his unwavering commitment to those he loved will live on in our hearts forever.”

Read more at KSL.com.