ST. GEORGE — A 12-year-old girl who nearly drowned at Gunlock Falls was released from the hospital and returned home with her family.
At approximately 1:30 p.m. Sunday, the girl was wading in a pool at the top of the falls when she was “sucked into” the flow, which pulled her into the swift water current, “held her in that position and pinned her head down,” Devan Chavez, Utah Division of State Parks spokesman, told St. George News.
“Thankfully, she didn’t get swept away or thrown off of any of the waterfalls there or hit any rocks,” he said. “I think that the people that responded did a great job of rendering aid as quickly as they could as well as calling for help.”
Witnesses attempted to help the girl and alerted emergency services, he said. A state park ranger and Gunlock Fire Chief Charlie Guthrie “arrived very quickly,” followed by Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue, the Dammeron Fire Department and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
She was transported via Intermountain Life Flight helicopter to St. George Regional Hospital.
“She was in and out of consciousness after they pulled her out of the water … But it’s great news that now she’s woken up and is back home with her family,” Chavez said.
Situations like these can be unpredictable, Chavez added.
“No one ever goes outside and expects one of these tragic things to happen,” he said. “They go outside with their friends and family looking to have an enjoyable time, whether that’s a picnic at a reservoir, on a boat, enjoying Gunlock Falls, climbing at Snow Canyon — whatever might be the plan that day, no one expects these tragedies to happen.”
Water flows can vary, even in the same location. And Chavez said “Gunlock Falls is actually one of those places” where the current can change based on the amount of runoff there is. The falls have been closed when the flow was too high or full of debris but are open to the public on calmer days.
“But when you’re near any moving water — swift water — or even reservoirs, it’s always really important to just exercise your better judgment and know your own skill level and the skill level of your friends and family members,” he said.
Swift water can be dangerous even for experienced swimmers, so those recreating near fast-moving water should expect their skill level to decrease “dramatically” upon entering the current. Should a person fall into the water, Chavez urges onlookers to call for help immediately.
“No matter what the incident might be, whether it’s something like this, a boat wreck or an OHV crash — anything like that, the first thing people should do is always try and get help headed that direction as soon as you can,” he said.
Witnesses should not jump in the water unless they have the proper training and skill set, as that could lead to two people requiring rescue instead of one, Chavez said. Instead, bystanders should practice “reach, throw, row and go.”
- Reach out to the person with an arm, hand, branch, paddle or other implement;
- Throw a device, such as a life preserver;
- Row in watercraft to get closer to the person;
- Go for help.
Recreators should be mindful of and allow space for emergency responders, Chavez said.
“I get people’s first inclination is to want to look and maybe run over and see what’s going on,” he said. “But we need to allow all rescue workers, whether they’re at a state park or recreation area, or even on the side of the freeway — you need to move over and let these rescue workers get their job done … We’re very thankful to the public that this year, they’ve been extremely respectful of the area.”
Additionally, with a busy Memorial Day weekend on the horizon, Chavez advises visitors to “always practice responsible recreation” and check the social media pages and websites of planned activity locations to see if they’re at capacity and to obtain other up-to-date information concerning conditions.
“And if your favorite place is busy, find somewhere off the map,” he added. “Utah’s a wonderful place, but do so responsibly and safely. Wear your helmet and your life jacket.”
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