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PAYSON — A major overnight operation in Payson Canyon ended when search and rescue crews found a hiker who was lost on a mountainside.
The 20-year-old hiker made it out of the canyon around 1:30 a.m. after several teams on foot and one on horses rescued him.
"As cold as it was and wet as it was up here, he's actually very fortunate to be in the condition he's at," said Deputy Doug Willes of the Utah County Sheriff's Office.
The hiker became lost along Bennie Creek Thursday night. Unprepared for the cold, wet conditions, he found cell service and made one very important phone call to his mother.
"He made that call and then his phone died," Willes said. "So, we weren't able to get a GPS coordinate on him or anything. It was a shot in the dark to find him."
Rescuers said fortunately the hiker stayed near a trail. After two and half hours of searching in the dark they found him.
Family and friends embraced the cold, wet hiker - who was not injured -- and thanked rescuers for a job well done.
Rescuers said let this be a lesson — the weather is changing, and anyone headed to the mountains needs to be prepared.
At this time of year it is very easy to misjudge the weather. It may appear warm during the day but temperatures can quick drop at night. Rescuers said at a minimum hikers should take a cell phone, coat, food, and water with them.
