WASATCH COUNTY, Utah-This past weekend, which was wintry in many parts of Utah, kept Wasatch County Search and Rescue busy in rescuing numerous adventurers from haphazard escapades.
Friday, one was lost in the Wasatch Bank on the Great Western Trail.
At this time, the 911 dispatch center received a call from a man who had become lost while hiking. The man confirmed he had been hiking primarily during daylight hours but after dark, he could not deduce where he was and needed help finding his way.
Wasatch SAR crews responded by using snowmobiles, transporting the man to the trail head at Aspen Grove. The hiker was found in good shape. Utah County Search and Rescue assisted in his safe recovery.
Also on Friday, a medical rescue occurred at the Heber Valley Camp. A person was struck by a sledder, experiencing a medical emergency.
SAR was paged to assist with this rescue and began deploying to the area. EMS personnel were able to successfully drive the ambulance to the scene.
Another Friday rescue saw a patient who suffered a broken femur saved at Strawberry Reservoir. 911 dispatch received a call on a toboggan accident, resulting in a broken leg. Wasatch SAR, Wasatch EMS and Life Flight were all dispatched to the area. The patient was extracted via Intermountain Life Flight.
Saturday morning, Wasatch County SAR conducted rescue training at Deer Creek Reservoir. Because temperatures have been getting warmer in the Heber Valley, this has caused dangerous ice conditions on lakes in the region.
Wasatch County SAR advises outdoor enthusiasts to pick their ice fishing spots carefully for the remainder of this winter season.
Saturday evening, a 64-year-old male snowmobiler was reported as missing at Current Creek in the Strawberry Reservoir area.
This man called 911 after he began hiking following his snowmobile breaking down.
He had to hike for some distance to get back into cell phone service coverage and darkness was approaching as SAR personnel arrived at the scene.
Thankfully, a Wasatch County SAR helicopter was able to rescue him just before dark.
Saturday afternoon, another rescue occurred as a party of six had rented a side-by-side with tracks and got stuck at Horse Creek.
They became stuck after the SXS went off the road.
SAR is not allowed to tow vehicles out in areas with snowfall so adventurers are advised to be careful with vehicles in snowy conditions.
