WASHINGTON COUNTY (KTNV) — Officials in Southern Utah were kept busy over the weekend and made at least three rescues in Washington County, which is about two hours northeast of Las Vegas.
According to the Washington County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team, it all started on Friday.
Officials responded to a call that a man was "ledged up on a cliff" near the Red Cliffs Campground. They said a team was able to climb to the cliff above the man and send someone down with a harness. The man was then escorted down the mountain to safety.
On Saturday, the county responded to two separate incidents at Gunlock Falls. The sheriff's office said the first incident happened after a man in his 40s fell from a cliff near the top of the falls and hit the side of the cliff face before falling into the water that was approximately 30 to 40 feet below.
Officials said bystanders were able to get him out of the water before the team responded. He was then loaded into a helicopter and taken to the hospital. The sheriff's office said they believe he "suffered a pair of possible broken legs and a suspected broken jaw."
Later that day, a second team was called to Gunlock Falls after an 18-year-old woman injured herself while cliff jumping with friends. Officials said this happened in the lower pool at the bottom of the falls.
The search and rescue team said she fell about 50 feet before landing in the water and it's unknown if the water was shallow in that spot or if she hit submerged rocks under the surface of the water.
Rescuers were able to get through "extremely rough terrain" to stabilize her and move her to a helicopter. She was also taken to the hospital with a "suspected femur fracture."
Washington County officials said they've been seeing more injuries and drownings at Gunlock Falls over the last couple of months and want to remind the public to not cliff jump into the water and stay away from fast-moving sections of water.
