Emery County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
A 26-year-old Nephi man was rescued early Wednesday morning after spending the night stranded in a slot canyon in Emery County, having broken his leg in a fall around 7:30 Tuesday evening.
At a few minutes after midnight, the missing man’s father called ECSO Dispatch and reported that his last contact with his son was about 2:30 on Tuesday afternoon, at which time he said he was headed to Ding and Dang Canyons. ECSO personnel located the man’s vehicle at the trailhead just after 2 a.m.
Four personnel from Goblin Valley State Park responded with two searching up each canyon. Emery County Search and Rescue was dispatched, as well as Green River Ambulance and the State DPS Helicopter Star 9. The missing man was located about two miles from the trailhead. He was secured in a rescue basket and carried to a location in the canyon where the helicopter was able to lower a cable 160 feet. The helicopter then hoisted the injured man and rescue attendant out of the canyon and delivered them to the Green River Ambulance, which was staged at the entrance to Goblin Valley State Park. The injured man was transported by ambulance to the hospital.
Sheriff Funk stated, “Not only did rescue personnel respond during the middle of the night, but they also waded through very cold water in the slot canyon, which was chest deep at times. The skills of the helicopter crew were incredible as they hovered in a very tight section of the canyon to hoist the injured man out. Another successful rescue in Emery County thanks to these highly-skilled, selfless responders and multiple agencies working together.”
This type of wilderness rescue is very technical and takes a lot of time due to the remoteness of Emery County and the ruggedness of the terrain. All-in-all, it was nine hours of dedicated effort from the time the call came in until the injured man was loaded on the ambulance for transport. WELL DONE to all involved.
