Salt Lake County Search and Rescue staying busy during hot days of summer
Jul 16, 2023, 2:00 PM
Salt Lake County Search and Rescue responded to three situations during the week of July 7-13. Photo credit: Salt Lake County Search and Rescue.
SALT LAKE CITY — During the week of July 7-13, Salt Lake County Search and Rescue was called out to three different rescues.
Fortunately, none of the rescues involved a fatality. In the most recent rescue, a hiker suffered a broken leg. In another rescue, a hiker suffered a significantly rolled ankle.
On July 13, search and rescue was called to Little Cottonwood Canyon to assist an injured climber in the Pentapitch climbing area.
According to a news release, “The climber took a lead fall on the fourth or fifth pitch and while this would normally result in an elevated heart rate and a learning experience.”
However, the climber suffered a broken leg. The climber’s partner along with other climbers assisted the victim by helping split the leg and lowered him to the base of the route where search and rescue and other first responders were waiting.
Search and rescue used rope systems and muscle to move the victim to an open spot on the mountain where a helicopter lifted the victim from that location to a waiting ambulance.
A second mission for Salt Lake County Search and Rescue
On July 11, search and rescue was needed at Brighton Ski Resort to help a young woman who had rolled her ankle and was in pain. She and two others were hiking in the Mount Millicent area when the incident occurred.
Search and rescue assisted the victim down the steep terrain to an ATV. Paramedics from Unified Fire Authority were also called to the scene. They treated the victim and gave her pain medication.
A third mission
On July 7, search and rescue helped a lost hiker near the summit of Mount Olympus.
According to the release, after summitting Mount Olympus, the hiker made the mistake of descending into the upper Heughes Canyon. Soon thereafter, the hiker realized they were off the route and was in need of assistance.
A team of three members was deployed up the mountain to get to the hiker. After getting to the hiker and assessing the situation, they hiked back to the trailhead. Additional teams were deployed up the mountain with water. The water was stagged at various points along the trail.
Other hikers were also provided with water. Eventually, all search and rescue team members and hikers made it off the mountain.
Read more:
- Washington County search and rescue responds to 2 different incidents
- Search and rescue team recovers body of snowmobiler killed in avalanche
