ST. GEORGE — Several people were rescued Sunday night from a slot canyon in Garfield County.
According a statement from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, seven hikers from Colorado ranging from 20 to 60 years old, got stuck in the Sandthrax slot canyon in the Leprechaun Canyon area near Boulder, Utah.
The call to emergency responders came in around 9 p.m. from a member of the hiking group who managed to get out of the slot canyon and hitched a car ride to Hanksville where he made the call.
“It was reported that one of the hikers got stuck in a narrow space and could not get out,” the Sheriff’s Office stated. “The other individuals except for one were unable to get around her.”
The group consisted of “amateur hikers,” according to the statement, and that Sandthrax requires “repelling and other difficult tasks” the group was unprepared for.
Search and rescue teams from Garfield and Wayne counties, as well as a helicopter from the Utah Department of Public Safety, were sent to retrieve the hikers.
The DPS helicopter was able to retrieve the individual stuck in the slot canyon and flew her to Moab Hospital for treatment of minor injuries and hypothermia.
The remaining hikers were taken out of the canyon next and no additional injuries were reported.
The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office expressed the other agencies that helped in the search and rescue operation, and offered advice to future hikers.
“Garfield County Sheriff and Deputies would really like to express the importance of knowing the area you are going to hike at. Be over-prepared for any situation that could arise,” the Sheriff’s Office stated. “Always make sure you have plenty of water and food. We have some amazing areas to hike in our county and one of our biggest concerns is the safety of all individuals.”
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