12-year-old girl airlifted to hospital from Gunlock Falls after nearly drowning

Written by Alysha Lundgren
May 22, 2023

ST. GEORGE — A 12-year-old girl nearly drowned at Gunlock Falls and was airlifted to the hospital in stable condition Sunday afternoon.

A 12-year-old girl was airlifted to the hospital after nearly drowning at Gunlock Falls, Utah, May 21, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue Division Chief Lance Haynie, St. George News

Shortly after 1 p.m., Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue responded to reports of a preteen girl found unconscious at the top of the falls after nearly drowning, Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue Division Chief Lance Haynie told St. George News.

First on the scene, Gunlock Fire Chief Charlie Guthrie reported that while the child was unconscious, she was breathing. The Dammeron Valley Fire Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the rescue while fire and rescue focused on patient care, Haynie said.

Due to the “mechanism of injury,” rescuers requested an Intermountain Life Flight helicopter to transport the girl to St. George Regional Hospital, Haynie said, adding that she was stable when transported into the aircraft.

Because the Santa Clara-Ivins crews’ primary objective was to care for the child, Haynie said he did not know the cause of the incident.

Washington County Sheriff Sgt. Lucas Alfred told St. George News that Utah State Parks would investigate the incident if needed. Because EMS and State Parks staff arrived at the scene first, responding deputies did not receive information concerning the patient’s care or the cause of her injuries.

This report is based on information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings.

Updated, May 22, 2:28 p.m., to add additional information received from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alysha Lundgren joined the St. George News team in 2022. She began her career as a freelancer, writing resource articles for families of children with disabilities. She's also covered topics such as astronomy, recreation and nature. Originally from Nevada, Alysha fell in love with Utah quickly after moving to Cedar City. In her free time, she enjoys wandering and photographing Utah's gorgeous landscapes or hunkering down in a blanket to play video games or read a good book.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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