KANE COUNTY, Utah, July 9, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Hikers traveling to The Wave and Wire Pass area on Kane County on Monday became separated from one member of their group.
“When they returned to the trailhead, they had hoped he had arrived safely on his own,” says a news release from the Kane County Sheriff Search and Rescue.
“He had not, so they contacted KCSO dispatch” at about 3 p.m.
“KCSO deputies and Bureau of Land Management Rangers responded to the Wire Pass Trailhead to gather information from the group. Kane County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (KCSAR) was activated to begin a search.”
Intermountain Life Flight was initially requested to assist with an aerial search. The aerial search was later assumed by the Utah Department of Public Safety Aero Bureau helicopter based in St. George.
“Throughout the evening and into the night, KCSAR personnel conducted a ground search while the DPS helicopter searched from the air. Ground teams located the missing hiker’s tracks and followed them to the edge of Wire Pass slot canyon. The helicopter then conducted a search through Buckskin Gulch.
“Approximately halfway between the confluence of Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch Trailhead, the DPS flight crew located the missing hiker lying on slickrock above the slot canyon.”
The flight crew found the man nonverbal and drifting in and out of consciousness.
“He was loaded into the helicopter and flown to a waiting ambulance at the Wire Pass Trailhead,” the news release says.
“Big Water Fire Department provided emergency medical care before the patient was transported by Intermountain Life Flight to a hospital for treatment of dehydration and other injuries.
KCSO thanked the Bureau of Land Management, the Utah Department of Public safety Aero Bureau, Intermountain Life Flight, and Big Water Fire Department for the assistance.
“This coordinated effort resulted in the successful rescue of the missing hiker. The outcome could easily have been different, and this incident serves as an important reminder for hikers to remain with their group, carry adequate water, and be prepared for the extreme conditions of the desert.”
