Idaho man rescued after 4 days lost in Bryce Canyon


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BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK — Crews on Friday rescued an Idaho man in Garfield County who had been lost for four days with no food and nearly no water.

Garfield County dispatchers received a call Thursday indicating that John Harm Wiersema, 39, had been missing since Monday, according to a Facebook post from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. Wiersema, from Jerome, Idaho, had planned to go hiking in Bryce National Park.

Garfield County search and rescue crews as well as Bryce Canyon Park rangers searched the area for Wiersema’s vehicle Thursday but did not locate it until Friday morning. Officials then called in the Department of Public Safety’s helicopter to assist in the search, officials said.

“With recent weather conditions being very cold and having snowed, it was hard to believe someone could survive alone in the area,” the Facebook post said.

Wiersema was located about 1 p.m. “suffering from dehydration and minor scrapes and bruises.” Search and rescue crews transported him to an ambulance where he was then taken to Garfield County Memorial Hospital, officials said.

“John Wiersema thought he was going on a 2-hour hike on the Swamp Canyon Trail in Bryce Canyon but had somehow got lost,” officials said.

He had one bottle of water with him but no food and told officials he was able to drink “some water from some steams.”

Officials said Wiersema was wearing only shorts and a shirt.

Further information about Wiersema’s condition late Friday evening was not immediately available.

Garfield County Sheriff James Perkins encourages anyone who is interested in hiking to “know the area, get maps, and be prepared for any condition,” the post said.

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Yvette Cruz is the social media manager for KSL.com. She oversees the social media strategy for the local news outlet and seeks different ways to inform Utah audiences through various platforms. Yvette is also the editor of the lifestyle section. Prior to joining KSL.com she worked as an assignment desk editor for the local Univision station in Chicago.

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