Search and Rescue saves the day for man stranded near Kolob Reservoir

Washington County Search and Rescue pulls a truck and its occupant out of the snow on Lava Point Road in Zion National Park, near Kolob Reservoir, Utah, Feb. 19, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Washington County Search and Rescue, St. George News

ZION NATIONAL PARK — Washington County Search and Rescue crews rescued a man Thursday night on Lava Point Road in Zion National Park, after the man’s truck became stuck in the snow. Lava Point Road is off of Kolob Terrace Road in Zion National Park, near Kolob Reservoir.

At 8:30 p.m., Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Darrell Cashin was made aware of a man stuck with his truck in a ditch on Lava Point Road, near a ranger station. Cashin said he found out about the situation before the call was directed to Kane County Dispatch at 9:44 p.m, and the rescue was turned over to Washington County.

The man had driven up to check on a campground where a church camp had taken place, when his truck hit a crusty patch of snow and landed in a ditch, Cashin said. The man was not dressed for cold weather, or prepared for snow.

The man had a cellphone, and had called a wrecker, but the tow company was unable to make it to his location. Search and rescue crews were then dispatched, and were able to reach the man and pull the truck out. Search and Rescue personnel returned by 11:30 p.m.

Washington County Search and Rescue Commander Mike Thomas did not participate in the rescue, but offered caution to anyone who travels in the backcountry, specifically in the higher elevations.

“It seems like we have some great spring weather here,” Thomas said. “But there is still snow in the mountains, it still gets cold at night; and the days are still short and it gets dark early.”

Cashin and Thomas said the man did the right thing by calling for help, and staying with his truck.

“He wasn’t prepared for colder weather,” Thomas said. “So he did the right thing by staying at his truck. It’s easier to find a truck instead of a person stuck in the snow who would get very cold before we got there.”

Both Cashin and Thomas advise anyone going out into the mountains or backcountry to be prepared with warm clothing, even if staying out late isn’t planned.

Related posts

 

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

3 Comments

  • Bender February 20, 2015 at 3:20 pm

    If you hie to Kolob in winter you ought bring chains and winch.

  • Mesaizacd February 21, 2015 at 6:18 pm

    And a dictionary

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.