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BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON — Search and Rescue volunteers with the Unified Police Department say a man became stranded in an area near the top of Kessler Peak.
"Everything below him was really steep, intermingled with some shorter cliffs," Search and Rescue technician Dan Hadley said. "Lots of loose rock. Not a lot to hang onto."
The hiker made a 911 call around 3:30 Friday afternoon. Rescuers were able to use his GPS coordinates from the call to find him. A Department of Public Safety helicopter lowered the first two rescuers to a ledge about 100 feet away.
"Really kind of a small area, [the helicopter] wasn't able to land," Hadley said. "We just sort of hovered over the ridge and jumped onto kind of a flattish piece of rock."
Rescuers spent around three hours, tying a rope to a nearby tree and then lowering it to the hiker. Luckily, the man in his 20s was not injured and was able to drive himself home. Hadley says sometimes knowing when to turn around can help avoid situations like this.
"Just having the tenacity to be able to go uphill or go through what you went through on the trail," Hadley said. "It's a tough decision to make, but it's really what prevents situations like this from happening."
- Know your route
- Check the forecast before leaving
- Tell someone where you're going and when you expect to be back
- Take adequate supplies, especially water
- Wear proper clothing
- Stay on marked trails
