Dead Horse Point over Colorado River and Canyonlands at sunset – Utah, USA. Thunderstorms can pop up quickly with little warning in the area. Photo: Getty Images
MOAB– Heavy rainfall resulted in a busy weekend for Grand County Research and Rescue (GCSAR) as the team was called to help a handful of people in danger.
One person was reported missing after a flash flood hit Bartlett Wash. The person was found minutes later as Grand County Search and Rescue prepared to respond.
Roughly an hour after the flash flood in Bartless Wash, flash flooding began in Grandstaff Canyon. The floods trapped two separate groups of people on the wrong side of the creek. Grand County Search and Rescue located the groups who were able to safely cross the creek without assistance.
On Saturday, GCSAR was paged to Poison Spider Mesa to aid a group of mountain bikers who were exhausted and out of water. GCSAR found the bikers, provided water, and followed them to the trailhead on Highway 279.
Minutes after being called to Poison Spider Mesa, additional GCSAR members responded to a climbing accident at Rock of Ages in Pritchett Canyon. A woman seriously injured her leg after she fell about 20 feet while descending down the rappel. She was treated by Grand County Emergency Medical Services and GCSAR carried the woman down the canyon.
The second member of her party was stranded at the top of the rappel and required evacuation by Classic Air Medical.
GCSAR reminds hikers to be aware of hiking in canyons during severe weather. Certain hikes can be extremely dangerous if rain is falling anywhere up the canyon’s drainage.
