WASHINGTON CITY, Utah, March 14, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Department of Public Safety has released video of the helicopter rescue of a Washington City Police officer who was seriously injured after falling 15 to 20 feet down a slot canyon during a motorcycle ride Sunday.
Brad Coleman went missing during a dirt bike trip in the Warner Valley area, triggering a search and rescue operation Sunday that continued until Monday morning when he was hoisted from a slot canyon.
Coleman is a sergeant with the Washington City Police Department, according to an online fundraiser to assist with medical bills resulting from the fall.
Coleman was riding with friends when he got separated from the group and didn’t return home at 5 p.m. as expected, the GoFundMe post states.
Search and rescue crews responded and attempted to find the man with assistance from a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter until about 3:30 a.m. before suspending the search, according to a statement from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
The search resumed before 8 a.m. Monday, again with assistance from the DPS helicopter, and Coleman was found about 8:30 a.m. at the bottom of a slot canyon, “where he was stranded for around 15 to 20 hours,” according to the sheriff’s office.
The man and dirt bike had fallen 15 to 20 feet, the WCSO statement says.
Coleman was hoisted out of the canyon and transported by helicopter to St. George Regional Hospital in serious condition, officials said.
Search and rescue crews also recovered the motorcycle and returned it to the family, the WCSO statement says.
