Meg O'Neill

From October 24-30, 2016, Meg O’Neill shared some stories and photos with the #AlpinistCommunityProject about her path to alpinism. O’Neill died tragically on April 2, 2023, while ice climbing with two friends on Raven Falls in northeastern Utah when an ice pillar collapsed. On April 4 the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a 34-year-old male was climbing when the ice fell, and that O’Neill, 40, pushed the 21-year-old female belayer out of harm’s way, saving a life at the cost of her own. The 21-year-old was then able to escape and call for help. The male climber was taken off the mountain with serious injuries, according to the sheriff’s press release. O’Neill was Assistant Director of Embark Outdoors, where she passionately carried out the nonprofit’s mission of “empowering refugee young women through outdoor education and sports.” @embark.outdoors posted on Instagram: “Most of our girls have known Meg for half their life. She’d been a mentor to them since 7th grade. She was the heart and soul of this program, as you all well know.” In memory of O’Neill’s vibrant personality, we are revisiting the stories she shared with us in 2016.