Chaykin dies in hiking accident.

Florida Bar Board of Governors member Steve Chaykin, a respected voice on the 52member body, was killed in a freak hiking accident shortly after he attended the board's July 25 meeting.

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Chaykin, 56, was hiking with his wife, Melissa, and 10-year-old daughter, Sydney, near Aspen, Colorado, on July 30, when they stopped on a slippery spot on the trail overlooking a river to take pictures. Melissa, according to an account in the Miami Herald, lost her footing on a slippery rock and fell into the fast-moving water.

Chaykin slid into the river to rescue her, but hit his head and lost consciousness. The river carried him over a waterfall, and hikers a few minutes later found him floating face down in a pool at the base of the waterfall. Rescuers unsuccessfully attempted to resuscitate him.

Melissa Chaykin was taken to the hospital where she was being treated for broken bones.

Bar President Jay White said he was stunned and saddened when he heard the news.

"Steve was a great lawyer and great man. His passing is a tremendous loss to the Bar, the profession, and all of us personally," White said. "Steve was respectful of others, sensible in his analysis, had a calm approach, was dedicated to his profession, had a great sense of humor, a passion for the law, and a commitment to fairness."

White said all who knew Chaykin were blessed to have had him in their lives.

"It was a privilege and an honor to have served with Steve," White said. "We all will miss him greatly and will keep his family in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers."

Bar President-elect Jesse Diner, who like Chaykin grew up in Hollywood, said he was working late when he got the news and he had to quit, unable to work any further. He noted it brought back memories from 2005, when board member Henry Latimer was killed in a car accident.

"There were a number of things I admired about Steve," Diner said. "One was his zest for life and the second was his passion about things be believed in. He always was willing to listen, always passionate; not in a rabid sort of way, but in a thoughtful, reasonable way. I always respected Steve for that. He was not shy about standing up for what he believed in.

"It's a personal loss, it's a loss to the Bar, and his family. It's almost indescribable. He was way too young. It reminds you of how precious life is."

Only five days before the accident, Chaykin had been at the Board of Governors meeting. There, as chair of the Board Review...