Utah’s great outdoors can pose some great threats

The July heat is taking its deadly toll on hikers out to enjoy Utah state or national parks this summer, with three deaths and two other people who remain hospitalized in critical condition as a result of incidents in the span of just a few days.

While Utah may be renowned for its great outdoors, there are also great threats for those who may be unprepared, get lost, underestimate the terrain or simply fall victim to a tragic accident or circumstances that prove life threatening.

Karen Garthwait, acting public affairs specialist for Canyonlands and Arches national parks as well as Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national monuments, said the rocky terrain and sandstone landscapes so emblematic in much of Utah’s scenery present hazards that demand a special brand of awareness and caution.

“There’s so much to see and to look at out here that I’ve certainly found myself that I’ll accidentally walk past a trail marker because I was looking at a feature on the landscape, and then I’ll realize I can’t see the next trail marker,” she said. “I’ve got to stop and turn around and see where that last one was before I get too far — and I’ve been hiking here for 20 years. So you just really have to be aware, pay attention.”

Some of these incidents include:

• A father and daughter perished at Canyonlands National Park after they got lost and ran out of water.
• A daughter died and her parents remain in critical condition after heat exposure at Snow Canyon State Park.
• A 16-year-old girl broke her leg after a boulder fell on her in the Diamond Fork area of Spanish Fork Canyon.
• Two men were stranded on an ice field at Mount Timpanogos and search and rescue teams also had to extricate a teenager from the hot pots in Spanish Fork Canyon who was suffering from heat exhaustion.

Garthwait said the National Park Service offers a variety of safety tips for dealing with the heat and how to be prepared. The National Park Service, too, also provides a useful guide on how to plan your visit like a national park ranger.

She added that often, people will get stuck in a hectic schedule and try to cram too many activities into a day. Visitors are likely already a bit exhausted from traveling and the heat magnifies that vulnerability, Garthwait said.

“When people have given themselves such a tight itinerary and a huge list of must do’s, I like to encourage people to be flexible. You know if this is the day you have planned to do that 10-mile hike, but you’re not feeling up for it, it’s OK,” she said. “There are lots of other things that you can do that aren’t even hiking this time of year, right? Moab is a great little town. We’ve got a fun Main Street and some museums that are air conditioned, or even the visitor centers in the park, right?”

Such search and rescues tap the resources of mostly all volunteer teams overseen by sheriff’s offices. They take an incredible amount of time, coordination and present safety risks to those volunteers who need to be trained up in a variety of skills.

Park officials say it is not uncommon for these teams to suffer burnouts and Garthwait said sometimes there are multiple rescues that play out each day.

Utah County Sheriff’s Lt. John Chappell, who has been the supervisor of the agency’s search and rescue team, said the paramount goal is to keep outdoor enthusiasts safe as well as the team members engaged in the often strenuous and taxing task of finding and rescuing victims.

“We want people to be prepared, go with the right equipment, have the training necessary to accomplish whatever kind of recreation they are doing and ultimately be safe,” he said. “I think our volunteers would like it if they never got called out, but they take a great sense of pride in what they are doing and saving these lives.”

In Utah County, there are 60 volunteer members of the search and rescue team who train once a month. Some with skills as such as high angle rescues and rope climbing train more frequently than that.

Chappall and Garthwait also stressed that these operations could not be carried out without aerial support from the Utah Department of Public Safety and other agencies that have honed their rescue skills and responses over the years.

With so much public land in Utah and outdoor recreation teeming with popularity, opportunities abound for getting out and into nature, but with that comes increased risks for trouble.

Heat stroke not the only enemy

Beyond the obvious culprit of triple-digit temperatures dominating this summer, boating, off-road vehicles, kayaking and other activities pose threats.

Steve Bullock, chief of law enforcement for the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, said people often fail to wear life jackets while out boating, drink alcohol and are subject to greater impairment risk due to the sun, wind and waves of the water. And, sometimes, accidents just happen.

The Utah State Parks Division reported the fatality of a 30-year-old man who hit a rock face at East Canyon State Park in an incident earlier this year while riding a personal watercraft. A woman died at Little Dell Reservoir in early July while kayaking.

Bullock said the safety rules of the water are available on boating.utah.gov including the clear message that proper use of life jackets are one of the best ways to prevent tragedies. Children must be wearing them and there must also be a lifejacket for everyone on board.

Because rivers can be swift with dangerous currents, life jackets are a must when recreating at places like the Ogden, Weber and Provo rivers.

Off-road vehicles present their own hazards, especially as the machines get larger, go faster and seat more people. Bullock said that, again, people can overestimate their own capabilities, don’t wear proper safety gear or mix alcohol with their outdoor experience.

“So we see a lot of accidents like Sand Mountain down near Sand Hollow State park, where people get into the dunes and they’re maybe exceeding their ability because of the speed and the power of the machines. And so we see a lot of rollovers and accidents that way, but we also see a lot of off highway vehicle accidents related to alcohol consumption,” he said.

New regulations require a safety course for operators of the machine and children under age 18 are required to wear a helmet and operate it with adult supervision. Bullock said information on courses and safety can be found on the division’s website.