Hiker with broken ankle rescued in Snow Canyon

Stock composite image, St. George News

SNOW CANYON STATE PARK – A hiker who broke her ankle while hiking in Snow Canyon State Park was rescued late Monday night after her companion called for help.

A woman was rescued after dark Monday night after breaking her ankle on a trail in Snow Canyon State Park, Utah, May 16, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Kevin Dye, Dammeron Valley Fire and Rescue, St. George News

“We had two people out hiking before dark,” Dammeron Valley Fire and Rescue Chief Kevin Dye said, “and one slipped and twisted an ankle and broke it.”

The two hikers, a man and woman in their 30s from the St. George area, were on a trail near the Snow Canyon overlook located on the west side of state Route 18 near mile marker 10.

The pair were hiking on the Gila Trail, which runs along the east rim of Snow Canyon, when the woman broke her ankle.

The woman’s companion used his phone to call for help but was having trouble communicating with dispatch, so he hiked back up to the overlook to call. He also retrieved a light and took it back to the woman, Dye said, which helped rescuers locate them.

First responders hiked in with the man and splinted the woman’s ankle. One of the rescuers’ personal all-terrain vehicles was used to retrieve the woman, who was only about one-third of a mile north of the overlook, Dye said.

A woman was rescued after dark Monday night after breaking her ankle on a trail in Snow Canyon State Park, Utah, May 16, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Kevin Dye, Dammeron Valley Fire and Rescue, St. George News

The woman was brought to a waiting Gold Cross ambulance, which transported her to Dixie Regional Medical Center.

The rescue operation was wrapped up in about an hour, Dye said.

Dye said it’s a good idea to carry a flashlight, and as always, carry plenty of water.

Dammeron Valley Fire and Rescue responded to the incident with six rescuers, Dye said. Washington County Search and Rescue also responded to the incident with 20 people, but the rescue was mostly completed by the time they arrived.

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3 Comments

  • mmsandie May 16, 2017 at 5:03 pm

    Who hiked in the dark?. Glad everyone is okay

    • DB May 17, 2017 at 2:20 pm

      The article says that they were hiking before dark.

  • Caveat_Emptor May 17, 2017 at 8:54 am

    Seems like we ended up with way too many resources on site.
    You have to wonder why the Washington County team was responding, when it was already handled by DVF&R……
    If the responses are coordinated thru a central dispatch, then they failed.
    We hope to use these valuable resources only sparingly, and when we do use them, I hope the call out matches the need.

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