Mayan calendar vortex jumper costs county $8381 min read

By
Larson Newspapers
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A Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office helicopter hovers over Bell Rock on Friday, Dec. 21, after reports of Village of Oak Creek resident Peter Gersten, 70, who might jump from the top of the Village of Oak Creek landmark. Sedona Fire District crews, YCSO deputies and U.S. Forest Service personnel made contact with individuals atop Bell Rock and determined that no one planned to jump, according the SFD Fire Chief Kris Kazian. He called the incident a “non-event” and crews left the scene after a few hours. According to some sources, one of the individuals hoped to leap into a cosmic portal or vortex in what was reported as a “leap of faith.
Tom Hood/Larson Newspapers

Village of Oak Creek resident Peter Gersten, 70, left a lasting impression after spending much of the day atop Bell Rock on Dec. 21.

Many speculated Gersten would leap from the red rock landmark in his belief a vortex or cosmic portal would open there. Gersten himself, a retired lawyer, denied he ever intended to leap from the edge, despite earlier news reports that indicated he planned a “leap of faith.”

A crowd of onlookers visited Bell Rock on Dec. 21, hoping to get a glimpse of Gersten at the top. Besides the winter solstice, Dec. 21 also marked the end of the Mayan calendar, which many believed to indicate the end of the world. Since Dec. 21, some have speculated how much Gersten’s alleged leap of faith cost taxpayers, particularly due to the presence of law enforcement — a rescue team from the Sedona Fire District and a Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office rescue helicopter that flew nearby during the course of the day.

For the full story on costs associated with monitoring the safety of participants of the event, see the Friday, Dec. 28, edition of the Sedona Red Rock News.

Larson Newspapers

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