UTAH

Hiker rescued in Little Cottonwood Canyon after storm rolls in

Oct 13, 2025, 7:28 AM | Updated: 7:29 am

Search and rescue teams helped to get a hiker out of Little Cottonwood Canyon on Saturday...

Search and rescue teams helped to get a hiker out of Little Cottonwood Canyon on Saturday. (Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue)

(Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue)

SALT LAKE CITY — Search and rescue crews traveled through a snowstorm in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Saturday to find a lost hypothermic hiker, and get them back home to safety.

The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team said the four hour rescue mission began on Saturday at 7 p.m. when a hiker called for help on the south ridge of Mt. Superior.

“The hiker had set out earlier in the day, attempting to summit the mountain, and went off-trail when a snowstorm rolled in,” the search and rescue said. 

Temperatures quickly dropped to around 20 degrees Fahrenheit and snow began blowing around the hiker, leading to limited visibility, the search and rescue team said.

Once the hiker called for help, the search and rescue said teams met at the base of Alta Ski Resort to travel up the mountain and start looking for the hiker.

“The rescuers broke trail through several inches of snow on a technical, steep ascent for about 1.5 hours before making contact with the hiker,” search and rescue said. “As rescue teams assessed a cliff-edge traverse through a waterfall to the subject, a break in the storm occurred.”

A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter then took the hiker via “hoist rescue” to an ambulance, which then took the hiker to a nearby hospital for treatment.

According to the search and rescue, the hiker was hypothermic but in stable condition when brought to the hospital.


Other stories:

Family of four found after not returning from Saturday hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon, 2 kids in critical condition

Redwest cancels Saturday shows amidst severe weather, coordinators announce

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Hiker rescued in Little Cottonwood Canyon after storm rolls in