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LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON — Two hikers stuck on a cliff in freezing temperatures are safe after a successful overnight rescue, police say.
It took about nine hours to rescue the hikers who were in a treacherous area, said Unified Police Department Lt. Justin Hoyal.
The pair started their hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon near the S-curve around 7:30 Sunday morning. They hiked the summit then got stranded in a rocky area near some cliffs above Lisa Falls in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
The pair called for help around 7:30 Sunday night and Unified Police responded.
“They got to a point where they were cliffed out, where they couldn't go up or down,” Hoyal said. “The big thing here this evening that took a lot of time was our rescuers had to rappel down to our victims and lower them down.”
The hikers returned to the search and rescue command post in Little Cottonwood Canyon just before 5 a.m. Monday. They were cold, wet and had few cuts, but are otherwise okay.
People who want to go hiking should always have a charged cell phone with them, Hoyal said. Temperatures in the canyon were in the low 30s and the hikers were not prepared for an overnight stay but they did have a cell phone and were able to call for help.
