GRAND COUNTY, Utah, June 24, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The Grand County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue crew got a call Friday about three hikers stranded by high waters in Grandstaff Canyon, and arrived to discover 17 more trapped upstream.
During an emergency sparked by a severe thunderstorm in the Moab area, emergency responders dealt with flash flooding, downed power lines, rock slides and road damage. In a six hour operation ending after midnight, SAR crews were able to rescue 20 hikers trapped by high waters.
GCSSAR responded to the call of three people trapped in the canyon. Rescuers hiked as far up the canyon as possible until they were blocked by high water, says a statement issued Monday by the Search and Rescue group.
“They were able to establish voice contact with the party that had called 911, and they also noticed lights farther up the canyon,” the news release says.
“A drone with thermal capabilities was launched from the parking area and confirmed that there were 17 additional people trapped by the flood.”
As a precaution, the Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter was requested in case people needed to be hoisted out of the canyon before the flood waters subsided sufficiently to permit a ground rescue.
“The hikers were reportedly wet and becoming cold and the threat of hypothermia was increasing,” the statement says.
At about 11 p.m., more than four hours after the original call, the water had receded enough to allow rescuers to safely cross the creek and establish a handline to assist in getting all of the stranded hikers across. Many of the hikers were without any source of light. They were all safely returned to the trailhead where they were checked by Grand County EMS.
At almost the same time as the page for the Grandstaff Canyon incident, additional members of GCSAR were mobilized to determine if people might be trapped in the popular Mill Creek Canyon or Medieval Chamber areas. Rescuers were able to locate the occupants of all vehicles in the Mill Creek parking area.
Before the drone was dispatched to the Grandstaff Canyon incident, it was used to confirm that there were no additional people trapped farther up Mill Creek. The drone was also used to check the Medieval Chamber canyoneering route.
GCSSAR shared safety tips:
- Always check the weather forecast before your adventure. If there is rain, especially thunderstorms, in the forecast, do not enter canyons, washes or streambeds.
- Remember that flash floods frequently occur during thunderstorms in our area. They can originate many miles away. Water levels rise extremely fast. Flash floods are often strong enough to carry dangerous debris such as trees and boulders.
- Specific areas to avoid in our county include Courthouse Wash, Mill Creek, Rill Creek, Pack Creek, Kane Creek, Grandstaff Canyon, Onion Creek, Professor Creek and Fisher Towers.
- As with any backcountry adventure, make sure to bring extra water, snacks, layers, light sources and an emergency satellite messaging device.
- Please remember that entering flood waters is a dangerous risk for everyone, rescuers included.
