Emergency responders rescue hiker and his dog near mouth of canyon east of Cedar City

Iron County Search and Rescue team members at the scene of a rescue operation near the mouth of Cedar Canyon, near Cedar City, Utah, May 30, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — Emergency responders successfully rescued a 31-year-old hiker and his dog near the mouth of Cedar Canyon on Tuesday evening.

Iron County Search and Rescue team members at the scene of a rescue operation near the mouth of Cedar Canyon, near Cedar City, Utah, May 30, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Iron County Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Humphries said the man had gone on a walk accompanied by his malamute in the hills south of state Route 14, at approximately mile marker 1.5. 

“He got on that shale rock and couldn’t get back up because he was tired and fatigued,” Humphries said, noting that the man used his cellphone to call 911 for help at approximately 4:50 p.m.

Dispatchers then paged multiple responders to the scene, including Iron County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Search and Rescue team members, in addition to personnel from Bureau of Land Management and the crew of Utah Department of Public Safety’s Star 9 helicopter.

“It was a team effort on all parts,” Humphries said. “I don’t know who actually helped get him up on top.”

Once rescuers had reached the man and had given him and his dog some water and helped them reach a safe location, the man was picked up by the Star 9 helicopter and transported off the mountain, Humphries said.

Meanwhile, deputies and SAR team members walked back down to the trailhead with the dog, Humphries told Cedar City News at 9:30 p.m., after it had gotten dark.

“The chopper is only allowed to take (passengers) for medical purposes,” Humphries explained. “They couldn’t transport anyone else, so they’re walking out.”

Iron County Search and Rescue team members at the scene of a rescue operation near the mouth of Cedar Canyon, near Cedar City, Utah, May 30, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

“They’re still up there, for probably about another hour, because they’re still walking down,” he added.

Humphries then offered a couple of safety suggestions for hikers.

“Know the area you’re hiking and know your limitations,” he said. “He got himself in a position he couldn’t get back from.” 

“That shale rock is not the easiest stuff,” Humphries added. “Once you get in, you don’t realize how much you can’t move. You move one foot up and you slide down two feet.”

Humphries also commended the rescuers for their collective efforts in helping ensure a safe and successful outcome.

“They show up every time they’re called,” he said. 

Humphries said Tuesday evening’s rescue wasn’t nearly as difficult nor as technical as a similar one that occurred in the same area nearly three years ago. In that August 2020 incident, a rescuer had to rappel 450 feet to reach an injured hiker after initial efforts to reach him by helicopter were unsuccessful.

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