ST. GEORGE — It was a busy holiday weekend for Washington County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue as emergency personnel responded to six calls.
“Be prepared,” Public Information Officer for Washington County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Darrell Cashin said. “Know where you are going. … Just be prepared for those things that could happen to you.”
Cashin emphasized preparedness and the importance of planning ahead as he summarized the six rescue calls from the weekend.
There were no calls Friday, but Saturday made up for it with three incidents.
The team was originally called to the plateau area by the trailhead for Bearclaw Poppy Trail at about 3:50 p.m. A woman on a mountain bike injured her ankle and needed medical support. She started her journey at the trailhead and they were able to locate and stabilize her and help her back to the trailhead. She then transported herself to the hospital.
At approximately 4:01 p.m., Search and Rescue was dispatched to Red Reef Trail at Red Cliffs Recreation Area to locate two hikers in their 60s who ended up lost and got “ledged in,” Cashin said.
“They couldn’t go up or down,” said Cashin, adding that the rescue took some time but the couple escaped without injury.
The night concluded at 5:27 p.m. with the recovery of the body of a La Verkin teenager who fell off the Hurricane Outlook by state Route 59.
“The call came as we were finishing our rescue at the Red Reef Trail,” Cashin said. “We sent part of the team to help out in any way that was needed.”
Sunday’s first call came at approximately 9:25 a.m. north of Interstate 15 Exit 27 at Toquerville. Cashin said two brothers ended up separated overnight. Star 9 helicopter was called in and located him, and there was no need for medical aid.
At approximately 5:41 p.m., the team was again called out to Sand Mountain for another rescue. A group of people in ATVs got stuck in a steep area of the canyon. They were located on the front end of Sand Mountain. The machines had to be abandoned and were winched out later, Cashin added.
The final call was received at about 6:32 p.m. for two lost hikers in their 20s in the Short Creek area up Water Canyon. The original call indicated both hikers were female, but there was actually one male and one female. Star 9 was dispatched and located them, able to land and bring them to safety.
“They were up on Canaan Mountain,” Cashin said. “They were lost, off trail. It got dark … not prepared, not dressed for it.”
Cashin said he was thankful for Star 9, especially since they were able to bring the two hikers down off the mountain.
“It was great,” Cashin said. “At least we didn’t have to hike that whole mountain during the night.”
Cashin said Search and Rescue has been busy during holiday weekends so far this year, having performed five missions during Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and now six missions this last weekend. Cashin said they have had a couple more throughout the last couple of months, but it has been a very busy year so far.
Cashin reminded those venturing outdoors of the following:
- Plan ahead, especially for potential things that could happen such as accidents, taking longer and bad weather.
- Wear appropriate clothes and make sure to have a jacket in case it gets dark and cold.
- Have plenty of water.
- Have a source of light other than a cell phone. Search and rescue prefer you use the cell for talking than as a light and draining the battery.
- Get to know the area where you are going. Do the research on the hike or area.
The U.S. Forest Service has some outdoor survival and preparedness advice on its website which helps outdoor enthusiasts or first-time recreational adventurers to be properly ready for their time in the local wilderness.
“You could get off trail,” Cashin said. “You could get lost. You could get stranded. It will take us some time to get to you so make sure you are prepared.”
Updated, Feb. 21, 4:22 p.m.: Locations of rescues defined more specifically and the name of a mountain corrected.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.