Park City remembers Gabe Reilly, PCHS alum and Salt Lake firefighter

PARK CITY, Utah — For Gabe Reilly, the mountains weren’t just where he grew up; they were the backdrop for nearly every chapter of his life.

Growing up in Pinebrook, Gabe spent his childhood skiing, mountain biking, wrestling, hunting, and exploring the outdoors with his family. He became involved with the Park City Ski Team and Park City mountain biking team, where coaches and teammates remember a driven but fun-loving kid who was always ready for his next challenge.

Gabe, 27, died Sunday in a BASE jumping accident in Cache County. He had spent the past four years with the Salt Lake City Fire Department, following in the footsteps of his father.

A childhood in Park City

The Reilly family moved to Pinebrook in 1999, when Gabe and his siblings were only about a year old.

Gabe was a triplet, growing up alongside his brother, Drew, and sister, Siri. From an early age, the Gabe was involved in activities ranging from skiing and mountain biking to wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Skiing became one of Gabe’s biggest passions, and he competed as a ski racer with the Park City Ski Team. Though a knee injury eventually ended his dreams of becoming an Olympian, it did little to slow him down or keep him inside.

His father, Dan Reilly, remembers Gabe spending summers at ski camps and training in the offseason. He later became an accomplished mountain bike racer and competed on the Park City mountain biking team, including on the team’s 2015 state championship squad.

“He certainly lived life to the fullest,” remembers his coach, Pete Stoughton. “He always had a passion for the outdoors and adventure. He was a great kid, coachable and fun.”

But Gabe’s childhood was not defined only by the things he did outdoors. His family remembers him as someone who was unusually attentive to the people around him.

His brother, Drew, has a disability and is nonverbal. Dan said growing up alongside Drew helped shape Gabe’s sense of patience, compassion, and responsibility.

“He was just terribly thoughtful about Drew,” Dan said.

Gabe took Drew bowling and brought him along on family river and hunting trips. As the siblings grew older, he continued looking out for him.

“He was always there,” Dan said.

Leyden Mitchell, who grew up next door to the Reilly family in Pinebrook, also remembers Gabe as someone who was always willing to look after the younger children. She remembers Gabe giving them rides to ice skating in the mornings and making them dinner when her mother was away.

“He was an outstanding human being who cared so deeply for those around him and his passion for life radiated through him,” Mitchell said.

That instinct to care for others would eventually become central to Gabe’s career.

From adventure to emergency medicine

After graduating from Park City High School in 2017, Gabe attended the University of Utah, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology.

His original plan was medical school. He spent time working in the University of Utah emergency room as he prepared for that path, but eventually realized he wanted a career that would give him more balance outside of work. So he decided to follow his father into the fire service.

“I want to do what you do, Dad, and see if that’s a good fit,” Dan remembers Gabe telling him.

Gabe joined the Salt Lake City Fire Department and later attended paramedic school. He became a heavy rescue technician, training in specialized rescue situations including high-angle rescue, confined-space rescues, and trench collapses.

“Gabe was known for his infectious smile, kind heartedness, and his free-spirited nature,” reads a post from Salt Lake City Fire Department. “Gabe’s commitment to the department, his fellow firefighters, and the community will not be forgotten.”

His mother, Nicole, said the work fit naturally with his personality.

“He just grew to really appreciate that, and was very drawn to emergency responding and emergency medicine,” she said. “He really found his niche, you know, and he loved his job.”

Dan said Gabe especially loved the camaraderie of the fire department and the medical side of the work. He had hoped eventually to gain enough experience to work with AirMed, following another part of his father’s career.

“He just loved the fire service. He loved the paramedic stuff,” Dan said.

A life built around adventure

At the same time that Reilly was building his career in emergency medicine, he was pursuing a different kind of challenge.

In 2019, he began skydiving. From there, he learned to fly wingsuits, eventually moving into BASE jumping — parachuting from fixed objects such as bridges and cliffs.

He traveled to pursue the sport internationally in Norway, Switzerland, and Italy, recording his jumps for social media. He also took up paragliding and speed flying. For Gabe, his parents said, the risks were real and something the family discussed openly. They also knew how much the sports meant to him.

Those who knew Gabe remember not only his passion for adventure, but the care and compassion he showed to others.

“He was a rescue hero,” Nicole said. “He was well loved, and he loved well.”