Helicopter rescues 2 from Subway area of Zion National Park

SPRINGDALE, Utah — Two hikers were rescued from a remote part of Zion National Park over the weekend after they were stranded outside for more than 24 hours.

According to a joint press release from the National Park Service and the Utah Department of Public Safety, the two attempted to hike the Subway route from top to bottom on Friday, Jan. 20, but they did not return.

When the national park received news about the overdue hikers, rangers were sent out to Kolob Terrace Road to prepare a landing zone for a DPS helicopter. Eventually, the helicopter crew was able to locate the hikers and hoist them into the aircraft.

Once inside, the hikers were flown to a National Park Service medical team that was waiting to provide them aid. One of the hikers was “dangerously hypothermic” and transported to the hospital. According to the release, the individual is now in stable condition.

“This rescue could not have happened as quickly as it did without the support of the Utah Department of Public Safety and their St. George-based helicopter,” the release stated.

Chief pilot Luke Bowman said, “We dedicate a lot of time and training to be prepared for any situation that we may face. Although we cannot train for every scenario, the crew was well prepared for this mission and did an outstanding job evaluating the situation and coming up with a way to overcome the difficulties of this particular rescue.”

“Currently, many of our canyons drop to sub-zero temperatures at night, streams and pools are iced over and deep snow covers the trails at higher elevations,” Daniel Fagergren, chief park ranger at Zion said. “When you visit, you need to understand and be prepared for the conditions you might face here. These kinds of operations are inherently dangerous for our staff and our partners, and they don’t all end like this one.”

For tips on how to prepare before you visit Zion National Park, click here.