GUNLOCK STATE PARK, Utah, June 18, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A 14-year-old boy saved a woman who unintentionally went over the waterfall in Gunlock State Park Monday afternoon.
Rangers received a call at approximately 12:30 p.m. that the woman, who is in her late 20s to early 30s, was hiking the waterfall when she fell from the top into the water below, Devan Chavez, assistant public information officer for Utah State Parks, told Gephardt Daily.
Chavez said the woman, who was visiting with her family from Nevada, did not jump from the waterfall, but may have slipped or was sitting down and was pushed over by the force of the water.
People who were in the area called 911, Chavez said, but a quick-thinking 14-year-old boy did more than that: he dove into the water, pulled the woman out and then administered CPR until emergency responders arrived.
Utah State Parks rangers, along with Search and Rescue teams then reached the woman and took over resuscitation efforts.
The woman sustained head injuries and was transported by Life Flight to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George. Chavez said that as of Tuesday morning, the woman is still in ICU, but is in stable condition with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
Chavez said the 14-year-old boy left the scene before emergency responders and the woman’s family could thank him.
“Thanks to him, that lady lives on,” Chavez said.
The incident is the second in that same area just this month, Chavez said.
On June 1, searchers recovered the body of a man who failed to resurface after jumping from the waterfall into the reservoir below the day before.
The victim was identified as Brandon Gary Johnson, 36, a Logan resident who had been working as a foreman in Washington County for the past four months.
The incident is under investigation but it appears Johnson died from the impact, officials said.
Chavez said the area is known for its natural beauty but visitors need to have respect for the water as it is moving very swiftly.
“The area is very beautiful but there’s no beauty worth risking your life for,” Chavez added.
