Man airlifted to hospital after nearly drowning at Gunlock Falls, authorities say

In this file photo for illustration purposes only, waterfalls flow at Gunlock State Park, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy Utah Department of Natural Resources, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A man was airlifted to St. George in critical condition after nearly drowning at Gunlock Falls midday Sunday.

Gunlock State Park, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy Utah Department of Natural Resources, St. George News

At approximately 11:40 a.m. on Sunday, Dammeron Valley Fire and Rescue was dispatched to Gunlock Falls on a report of a near drowning, according to a Facebook post written by the agency. Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue arrived in tandem with Dammeron Valley, finding the man unconscious and not breathing.

The man had reportedly jumped into the reservoir from near the top of the waterfalls but was not seen returning to the surface, KSL reported.

Authorities say two off-duty paramedics were at the scene and began life-saving interventions while waiting for rescue crews to arrive. Once there, rescuers executed a technical rescue to move the man into an ambulance. He was later transported to St. George Regional Hospital in critical condition via Intermountain Life Flight.

The Gunlock Fire Department, Washington County Sheriff Search and Rescue, and the Utah Department of Natural Resources also responded to the call.

“Thank you to all involved and for the seamless cooperation among agencies and crews on this technical rescue,” Dammeron Valley Fire posted on social media. “DVFR reminds those exploring the Gunlock Falls to use extreme caution, as this is the second incident of this type in two days. Conditions are dangerous and pose significant fall and drowning risk.”

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, 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!