ST. GEORGE — An overheated man was airlifted Sunday evening from Snow Canyon State Park.
At approximately 5:48 p.m., search and rescue teams were alerted to a hiker in distress near the Johnson Canyon trailhead. The man had reportedly found himself off-trail, overheated and short of water, said Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue Captain Devin Hill.
A Star 8 helicopter with the Utah Department of Public Safety was dispatched as the hiker was unable to walk back to the parking lot on his own. A combination of high temperatures and rough terrain would have reportedly made it difficult for rescue crews to carry him.
“It was safer to just have them come pick him up than try carrying him out or having him walk out,” Hill said, adding that conditions are always under consideration during a rescue operation.
“That’s always something that we have to think about when we’re responding to calls, is making sure that we are staying hydrated and taking care of ourselves,” he said. “Between us at the Fire Department and search and rescue both – I mean, if we’re in a spot where we’re tired or we’re getting dehydrated, it’s hard for us to help other people.”
The hiker was loaded into the helicopter and transported to the trailhead parking lot, and Hill said he drove himself home from there. No injuries were reported.
Hill recommends hikers head out early in the morning before the heat in is full force and take plenty of water.
“Also, make sure you know where the trails are and stay on the trails,” he added.
Other Santa Clara/Ivins Fire and Rescue resources included Medic Engine 31 and Medic Ambulance 31. And the operation lasted for about an hour and a half, the department posted to Facebook.
Staff wrote that Star 8 “continuously proves to be a vital resource to agencies across southern Utah.”
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Clara/Ivins Police Department also responded to the scene.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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