ST. GEORGE – A 21-year-old man was rescued by Ivins City Fire and Rescue and medical crews Wednesday after spending between two-four hours stuck in a lava tube in Snow Canyon State Park.

“A group of people came down from up north, went into the cave, and one of the gentlemen got stuck,” Deputy Darrell Cashin, Search and Rescue liaison with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, said. “There is a smaller area of the cave where he tried to go through and got stuck.”

The group called emergency responders, who arrived on scene at about 7:30 p.m.  The Washington County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team was also called in to assist but was subsequently canceled when responders already on scene were able to free the man.

“One of the Ivins Public Safety guys got beneath him, pushed up, and they were able to wiggle him out,” Cashin said. “It took a while, but they got him out.”

The man was uninjured and refused medical treatment after he was freed. The scene was wrapped up by about 9 p.m.

Calls for comment from the Ivins City Fire and Rescue were not returned by the time of publication.

This report is based on preliminary information and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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