One dead, one missing, 11 rescued in Buckskin Gulch

KANE COUNTY, Utah — A man is dead and one other man remains missing in Buckskin Gulch after floodwaters entered the slot canyon. Eleven other people have been rescued so far.

According to Kane County Sheriff Tracy Glover, a hiking party of three people was reported overdue Monday around noon.

Search and rescue responded and worked through the night and into Tuesday to locate the three overdue hikers in Buckskin Gulch. Rescuers were able to locate one man and hoist him out of the canyon.

A new compelling video was released Tuesday night showing Department of Public Safety crews meticulously searching Buckskin Gulch with an infrared camera.

“This guy’s definitely sitting down and waving for help,” one of the crewmen on that helicopter was heard saying.

This rescue Monday afternoon, just one of eleven.

Lt. Alan Alldredge with Kane County Sheriff’s office says the canyon is more dangerous than ever right now.

“This is going to be a dangerous canyon for us for probably a couple of months just because of the water,” Alldredge said.

Three different groups found themselves in trouble in the canyon this weekend, each person requiring expert technique.

Of those 11 hikers in trouble, search crews confirm one died from bad weather.

The survivor in the video was shown lying on the dirt, next to a stream and he appeared to be exhausted.

Crews will keep searching the canyon, known for being the longest and deepest slot canyon in the southwest. Searchers remain hopeful they’ll find the last missing hiker alive.

Alldredge said, “We’re hoping that he’s just hunkered down in there somewhere and we’re still really hopeful that we can go in and find him and bring him out.”

Lt. Alan Alldredge said that a medical helicopter transported that survivor to the hospital, experiencing health problems “associated with being in the water for three days.”

One man, from Florida, in the original party of three was found dead. During the original attempted search and rescue, two other calls for help were received from the same area.

So throughout the last two days, Alldredge said during that rescue they were able to locate ten others from two other hiking groups that were trapped because of high water and were able to lift them out.

Floodwaters came into the canyon with some early spring runoff, making difficult conditions in the slot canyon.

With more rain expected this evening and tomorrow, rescuers are working to find the missing hiker, identified as a man, before conditions worsen.

According to Glover, the 10 people rescued were cold and maybe slightly hypothermic but expected to recover.