GARFIELD COUNTY, Utah, July 23, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Six people were rescued by helicopter after they were trapped Wednesday by flash flooding in Garfield County’s Proctor Canyon.
The six rescued by a Utah Department of Public Safety chopper were stranded by the fast-moving waters in the canyon while riding their side-by-side utility vehicles, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said.
“And to anyone planning on driving, or riding through Proctor Canyon, do not attempt,” the sheriff’s office advised Wednesday night of the flooding southeast of the small town of Hatch.
“The road is completely washed out and impassable and will be closed until further notice.”
The agency thanked the DPS Aerobureau for its assist “during an extremely dangerous situation, and with another storm fast approaching.”
Earlier in the day the Salt Lake City office of the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Garfield County, correctly forecasting the debris flow through Proctor Canyon and possibly into Hatch from an expected 1 to 3 inches of rain on the France Canyon burn scar beginning by 2 p.m.
The France Canyon Fire last year burned approximately 35,000 acres from June 11 until it was finally contained in early July.
