Man transported to hospital after ATV rolls over in the dunes of Sand Hollow State Park

In this file photo shown for illustration purposes, off-road vehicles traverse Sand Mountain in Sand Hollow State Park, Utah, April 20, 2013 | Photo by Dave Amodt, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Civilians helped come to the rescue of a family of four after officials say an all-terrain vehicle rolled onto its driver’s side in Sand Hollow State Park. The driver had been pinned inside the vehicle.

Sand Hollow State Park Manager Jonathan Hunt told St. George News park officials received a call that someone was pinned under an ATV just before 1:15 p.m. Saturday afternoon a mile from the lake at the top of the first dune. At the time of the incident, there were four occupants in the vehicle including an adult man, an adult woman and their two children.

When park officials and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue teams had arrived, all of the vehicle’s occupants were out of the vehicle and the ATV was resting on its side.

The man operating the vehicle received injuries to his left arm, Hunt said, including lacerations. Hunt hypothesized the man had tried to keep the vehicle from rolling by outstretching his left arm.

The man was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center to receive treatment for his injuries while the three other occupants were unharmed. The family was visiting the area from Minnesota.

Officials were aided in the rescue by a group of nearby people who were driving Jeeps through the sand dunes.

Hunt said that as more people travel to Southern Utah to enjoy all that the area has to offer, it is important for people to be prepared for the weather conditions.

“Today, it’s nice and sunny, but it’s almost winter-like conditions,” he said. “The sand is blowing. If you’re going to ride an ATV or a side-by-side, you need to dress as if you were snowmobiling. It’s cold, it’s windy. If anything happens, you will be stuck on the mountain.”

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2019, all rights reserved.

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