#Hiker stuck in quicksand for hours free#

The canyon was about 400 feet wide in that area, Weber said. The state released video taken from the helicopter of the rescue on Monday. 'It saved them from now having to carry that individual four hours out of the slot canyon, even down some rappels that would have taken them quite a bit of time,' he said. But below, the crew knew that they needed to hoist the injured hiker out so that rescuers who had already hiked to him and spent the night, wouldn't have to carry him out. 'There was some concern that we would have to turn around and not make it down there,' he said.īut by Sunday afternoon, the helicopter arrived at the canyon.įrom the air, Weber said the snow made for a picturesque and serene setting. But they were forced to take several detours around an oncoming winter storm. Weber said he, a pilot, and one other crew member flew several hours to get to Zion. Sunday, park rangers called the Utah Department of Public Safety to see if its helicopter was available.

Rescue crews used tarps and canopies to make a shelter and stayed with the man at the scene that night in 'frigid conditions,' according to the rangers. By that time, the man had been trapped in the cold, running water for 10 hours and was suffering from hypothermia, according to park officials. Park rangers hiked up the canyon, found the man and pulled him out. The woman who was with the man had to hike three to four hours back the way she came before she could get cellphone reception to call 911. His leg was buried to his knee and he was unable to pull himself out. But between three to four hours into the hike, one of the man's legs became trapped in quicksand in the middle of a creek. On Saturday, a 34-year-old Arizona man and a woman went hiking in the Left Fork of North Creek - also known as the Subway at Zion National Park. We've practiced many hours for wind and water and those kind of things,' he said. The hardest job was the guys on the ground who spent all night there, were cold, fighting water and weather and wind.

The weather made it a little complicated, but I had the easiest job. Wyatt Weber on Monday shrugged it off, calling it a 'typical' rescue. TAYLORSVILLE - A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter was able to navigate around a winter storm and into a slot canyon Sunday to hoist a man trapped in quicksand to safety.īut while many are hailing the efforts of all the crews involved in the dramatic rescue, Department of Public Safety Sgt. Reading or replaying the story in itsĪrchived form does not constitute a republication of the story. The group was airlifted out of the area and to a hospital Sunday morning, after several failed helicopter rescue attempts due to reduced visibility from winter storms.Only for your personal, non-commercial use. According to NPS, about 10 cm of additional snow fell during that time.

#Hiker stuck in quicksand for hours free#

It took several hours to for rangers to free the man.īy then, night had set in, forcing the rangers and the man to spend the night at the site, amid moderate snowfall. RELATED: Five awful things extreme cold does to the human body The man, who was located about a three-hour hike inside the park, was in stable condition but suffering from hypothermia as well. It took her approximately three hours to find cell service and alert authorities.īy the time help arrived, the female companion was suffering from hypothermia and required assistance as well. His companion, who was not stuck, left him with warm clothing and provisions and went to call for help. The Arizona man was hiking at Zion National Park when he got his leg stuck in quicksand, accordin to NPS.