ST. GEORGE — Over the weekend, Washington County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue responded to a number of incidents.
Early Friday, the SAR team was called to the Virgin River Gorge to search for 36-year-old Guadalupe Guillermo Nunez. Nunez was attempting to evade police after an alleged sexual offense on a juvenile female.
During the pursuit, Nunez’s white Honda passenger car veered off the road and fell 200 feet, landing upside down in the river. SAR crews searched the car on Friday but did not find Nunez.
His body was found Sunday near the Cedar Pocket campground 5 to 6 miles south of where his car went in the river.
Later in the day, first responders were called to the Gunlock Reservoir lower falls where a family was cliff jumping. SAR was alerted after 36-year-old Brandon Gary Johnson leaped into the water and did not surface.
Life Flight and divers were called to the scene to find Johnson. The search was delayed overnight, and crews returned Saturday morning. Officers stopped the flow of the waterfalls with sand and continued the search before finding Johnson’s body Saturday afternoon.
Late Saturday, crews were called to the Blake-Gubler trailhead area to tow a red Toyota out of the mud.
The vehicle drove over what looked to be dry, solid ground, but the right rear tire was swallowed by “a bottomless pit of mud” from a nearby wellspring, according to SAR.
On Sunday afternoon, SAR responded to two incidents 11 minutes apart.
The first was called in at 12:02 p.m., when a female hiker in the Green Valley area fell and injured her ankle. SAR assisted medical personnel in reaching the hiker and transporting her to the nearest qualified facility.
Crews were again called out to the Gunlock Reservoir waterfalls at 12:13 p.m. SAR again helped medical personnel in accessing and transporting a male with a leg injury.
Washington County Search and Rescue is a volunteer organization that participates in wilderness and rural searches, agency assistance, and provides for ground, high angle, dive and K9 needs.
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