Regrets, grief after teen takes fatal fall during party
NEAR CONCRETE, Wash. -- Family and friends are mourning the death of a Skagit County teenager who fell to his death off of a cliff at a gravel pit.
Police believe 17-year-old Mitchell Latting's death was an accident. But loved ones believe the tragedy could have been prevented.
"He loved everybody," said the victim's best friend Danny Brown. "He would give the shirt off his back to anybody."
On Friday night, Latting was with friends at a rock quarry near Concrete. His friends say it is a popular spot; however, it is not without its dangers.
"I hear about it a lot, that kids come up here and drink all the time," said friend Mackenzie Tibbits. "Everyone told people not to come up here, because it's really dangerous."
The quarry itself is closed to the public. The rocky terrain is difficult to navigate, and the cliffs have drops that plunge nearly 60 feet down.
"I never really liked the place," said Robert Hubbard, the victim's brother. "Every time I said I would go to the party up here, I never did."
Latting's friends say parties at the rock quarry typically involve a lot of underage drinking. And on Friday night, Latting was drinking heavily, according to his brother.
"He stumbled over a rock, and he was down on his hands and knees. And he went to get up and just stumbled straight over," said Hubbard.
Latting fell roughly 55 feet.
"After he fell, a couple people went down there to see if he was still alive and stuff," said Abby Tibbits, the victim's girlfriend. "And they were trying to turn him over, and they were shaking him. And someone started yelling, 'Someone call an ambulance.'"
Latting died from the fall.
On Monday, his big brother and his friends returned to the quarry to remember him.
"When you're on alcohol and you're a little bit out of it, you're not aware of your surroundings. You're just 10 feet tall and bulletproof," said Hubbard.
A friend says Latting actually saved his life on Friday night, just two hours before the fatal fall.
"We were sitting on the edge ... and all of a sudden, I started slipping. And I was like, 'Look, rocks are falling underneath me.' And he was like, 'Grab my shoulder.' And I grabbed his shoulder, and he pulled me back up," said Brown.
The victim's friends say it is hard not to have regrets.
"I don't think anybody's going to be partying up here after this," said the victim's girlfriend.
Police believe 17-year-old Mitchell Latting's death was an accident. But loved ones believe the tragedy could have been prevented.
"He loved everybody," said the victim's best friend Danny Brown. "He would give the shirt off his back to anybody."
On Friday night, Latting was with friends at a rock quarry near Concrete. His friends say it is a popular spot; however, it is not without its dangers.
"I hear about it a lot, that kids come up here and drink all the time," said friend Mackenzie Tibbits. "Everyone told people not to come up here, because it's really dangerous."
The quarry itself is closed to the public. The rocky terrain is difficult to navigate, and the cliffs have drops that plunge nearly 60 feet down.
"I never really liked the place," said Robert Hubbard, the victim's brother. "Every time I said I would go to the party up here, I never did."
Latting's friends say parties at the rock quarry typically involve a lot of underage drinking. And on Friday night, Latting was drinking heavily, according to his brother.
"He stumbled over a rock, and he was down on his hands and knees. And he went to get up and just stumbled straight over," said Hubbard.
Latting fell roughly 55 feet.
"After he fell, a couple people went down there to see if he was still alive and stuff," said Abby Tibbits, the victim's girlfriend. "And they were trying to turn him over, and they were shaking him. And someone started yelling, 'Someone call an ambulance.'"
Latting died from the fall.
On Monday, his big brother and his friends returned to the quarry to remember him.
"When you're on alcohol and you're a little bit out of it, you're not aware of your surroundings. You're just 10 feet tall and bulletproof," said Hubbard.
A friend says Latting actually saved his life on Friday night, just two hours before the fatal fall.
"We were sitting on the edge ... and all of a sudden, I started slipping. And I was like, 'Look, rocks are falling underneath me.' And he was like, 'Grab my shoulder.' And I grabbed his shoulder, and he pulled me back up," said Brown.
The victim's friends say it is hard not to have regrets.
"I don't think anybody's going to be partying up here after this," said the victim's girlfriend.
Sad but aren't there better places to get drunk besides next to 50 foot cliffs? I just don't understand..
What a sad story. He was just a kid being a kid. When I was in high school, the party spot was Beaver Ponds out on South Hill (now the Sunrise area) behind the dump. We'd go out there and drink and have bonfires. It was just the thing to do. Yes there were some dangerous spots out there but as a kid you don't think about that.
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My heart goes out to his family and his friends.
it makes you wonder right? where did these under-aged people get their alcohol? somebody is hearing about this story KNOWING that they indirectly murdered this kid, illegally supplying these teenagers with alcohol. honestly, they need to be found and prosecuted!
@DylanJ A lot of kids just take alcohol from their parents. Ever think of that?
@DylanJ Booze could have been stolen. You trip over the displays in almost every store you go in now. Don't be so quick to judge.
It just breaks my heart that this had to happen. RIP young man and my condolences to his family and friends. I hope that the others can take this tragedy and learn something from it or re-evaluate their choices.
@The WA Mama tank you so much, i am mitchells mom, i tell his story to lots of kids,thats the least i can do. if ti only saves one life, theb it's worth it.
there were so many times when i drank that i could have died. Back in th e70, no one stopped anyone from drinking .... it was just what we did out of boredom. Sad, but i always t hink that some must die to save few... the rest of the partiers will never forget this, and they will make choices that will keep themselves alive... i hope, i hope...
I am sorry for the loss of this young life, and my heart goes out to his family and friends. I hope the young lady that said no one will party there anymore is correct.
I know this place well. It is not for the feint of heart in broad daylight and complete sobriety. I have climbed all around there and took many awesome photos. There is an eerie old abandoned factory ( I believe it was where rocks were crushed to make aggregate for cement products and shut down some time in the 60s or 70s). It is fenced off but that never stopped anyone. There are deep pits inside the factory, steep and crumbling stairways, walls with metal window frames in them and no roof, long cement chutes,and beautiful scenery all around. Trees, a lake, and a quarry where locals sometimes target shoot. It is isolated enough that a party wouldn't bee seen or heard from town. But, the cops around here all know that too. The town does not have it in their budget to have our own cops anymore, so we rely on the Sheriffs for the most part, and thankfully, we have some awesome community members who are EMTs.
This place has appealed to teen party throwers for decades, and probably more than one amateur photographer too. Kids are going to do a lot of stuff they shouldn't. I'm sorry that the price was too high for this young man.
After he fell a couple of people went to see if he was still alive and stuff, hey how about learning some first aid skills and stuff.......
 @Windowseat first aid too a sixty foot cliff fatality?
i'm sure they didn't think that what they would say would be made a joke by you windowseat.
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 @elliottbay I think he was mocking the "and stuff" comment. It was stupid. Go read what the victims girlfriend said again.
@ elliottbay Perhaps some first aid skills would have taught them NOT to roll him over & shake him! Rule #1 IMMOBILIZE so that you don't cause further injury. Could he possibly still be alive if they had followed that rule??
Sad, but preventable tragedy. It is not the fault of the area, but of the teens who party there....so sorry for family and friends. RIP, young man.
"Loved ones believe the tragedy could have been prevented" -- well, yes of course it could have been prevented! Not being in a dangerous place & drinking heavily would have prevented it. I sincerely hope no one thinks it should have been prevented by some outside entity & now there should be lawsuits to "compensate for his loss".
I am sorry for his family & friends for having lost him in this completely preventable accident.
@katiemcc No kidding it could have been prevented! Its called raising a child, not letting the TV do it. Next thing you know they'll be screaming and sueing for guard rails along the edge of the quarry pit.
@ katiemcc I couldn't have said it better- except to add "Teach your kids to respect other's private property". They were tresspassing as well as the underage drinking etc.
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Terrible tragedy. I couldn't immagine losing one of my sons in such a way.
@katiemcc Exactly my point....teens always think they are not going to be hurt, some adults too. Underage drinking is not the fault of the quarry, but of the irresponsible teens.
I did all of this as a teenager, plus a lot worse. It's amazing I made it this far. Unfortunately, accidents do happen. Rest in peace.
It's sad that his family & friends apparently weren't involved enough in his life to help him make better decisions.Â
Rest in peace, young man.
 @Fooey Patooey! Speculative comment there. This kid was loved. If you raised a perfect angel who never took a sip of alcohol in high school please tell us how you did it.
 @two loons I said "& friends." Presumably he wan't there to party with his enemies.
Before you take offence, maybe you should try comprehending what you read.
OK, let's look at this: Underage drinking, trespassing at a dangerous location, "partying" and no adults present. Is anyone TRULY surprised this happened? I'm just surprised it didn't happen sooner.
Will the kids learn from it? Highly doubtful. The next drunken party up there will be in his memory.
@Glassman I'm sure you are correct with your final statement.
Youth is a dangerous time. We have to test our limits in everything we do. If you have survived your youth these days, you are lucky.Â
Very sad. I heard this on the radio on the way in to work this morning.
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His friends talking to the reporter sounded like little boys. I did stupid stuff like this as a teen too and lost a few friends in high school. Had a few lashings from the parents but it didn't stop me. Kids / teens are going to do what they are going to do.Â
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Chances are the pit will continue to be a party spot with inebriated teens "toasting" their friend.
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Condolences to friends and family.
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Be careful out there!
When I say "little boys", I mean young. They sounded so young. R.I.P. young man. Heavy sigh!
RIP. I feel overdoing anything is dangerous.
Tragic, but I hope at least one young person learns from this and lives longer.
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I don't care where the alcohol came from, I think those who were there have no one but themselves to blame, and they will for many years to come. RIP young man.
 @theToucan FYI, the property is clearly marked- they were trespassing. You have to walk around a gate at the base of the road, and you have to find a hole in the chain link if you wish to explore the factory ruins. No one should be sued for this, and it seems unlikely that anyone would try to.
 @two loons Yup, same stuff we did when we were kids. Sorry it happens, but when growing up, boundaries and limits are tested and pushed to see what happens.
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I hope you're right about 'suing' but you know somewhere there is a lawyer salivating at the idea.
 @theToucan I sure hope not. If I were a lawyer I'd probably think it inadvisable since this was trespassing & under-aged drinking, but I guess I'll never be a lawyer, as I do not think I could stomach suing homeowners when intruders fall through their skylights, etc.
I still have a question that still hasn't been addressed; Who's supplying the alcohol?
 @Zoso My buddies and I used to hang out at the parking lot of a liquor store and ask customers to get us a case of beer in exchange for a six-pack. It worked most of the times because the drinking age was 18 at the time (in Texas) and people didn't seem overly concerned about liability back then.Â
@Zoso Jimmy Page bought it for him. How else would minors get alcohol.
 @msouthj  If it was Jack Daniels.... ;)
 @Zoso Seriously? Were you not a teenager? Do you think some parent gave it to them and told them to have a good time? Most likely one of their older siblings or friends bought it, just like teens have been doing since the beginning of time.Â
 @Asa What does me being a teenager have to do with this? I never got involved in that because I was raised better. That has nothing to do with this story. Did a parent give it to them? Did a sibling or friend give it to them? We don't know! That technically goes back to my original question! Obviously there was underage drinking and obviously someone illegally supplied it, which last time I checked was illegal! Duh! Does that make sense?
@ Zoso I'm pretty sure more than a few of those angels present are also into a little burglary from time to time. Cleaning out the neighbor's liquor cabinet while the neighbor is not home is a great way to stock up on party supplies.
 @Zoso  @Asa It takes about all of 5 minutes to walk into a grocery store and walk out with 2 30 packs unpaid for. If kids want to drink they will get it one way or another. Not to hard to figure it out. Not sure why we are acting like this is some unsolved mystery.Â
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 @plantfann  @Total We get asked sometimes by kids who loiter in front of the gas station- and we say no. It's a lot of fun too- I know a guy who was asked "will you buy us something to drink, because we're under 21?"- he said sure, took her money, and returned with a case of Pepsi, saying "Since you're under 21." Smart guy- spent her money for her so that if the wrong person came along and was willing to buy her booze, her money would be gone.
 @mustang sally  @plantfann It had to have come from out of town if the kids actually bought it. There is no one dumb enough at our grocery store or liquor store to sell to a kid and the gas station wouldn't either. Everyone knows everyone here. Not only would you get publicly humiliated at the store, but there's an excellent chance they'd call your mom or dad too!
I'm guessing there were some 21 yr old siblings/friends involved, or some parents who may keep alcohol around the house without much supervision.
 @Total Khaos or sweet talked a wino and bought him some booze too
@plantfann Maybe some look older and have fake IDs and bought it themselves; not always provided by an adult.
@Total Khaos  To ask the question is a good thing--here especially, because it should make those persons who supplied the alcohol think better about the consequences of doing that. Yeah, the kids were immature--all the more reason not to help them be stupid.