2 Hikers Died and One Hospitalized Following Flash Floods in Utah Canyon


Saturday morning, flood waters burst through a slot canyon along the Utah-Arizona border, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and the rescue of another. The first of the two males was found in Buckskin Gulch on Monday, and the second was found across the Arizona state line a few miles away on Tuesday. According to Lt. Allen Alldredge, Kane County’s Sheriff, a third member of the group was found Monday afternoon by an air search team using an infrared spotlight. The person was taken to the hospital with hypothermia and other injuries. According to him, almost a dozen further people were evacuated out of the canyon after the floods. A 2008 Backpacker guide listing Buckskin Gulch as one of the most perilous walks in the United States described it as a “spooky passage” 400 feet deep in sections and rarely wider than 10 feet. The sign said that if storm-filled flood waters came rushing down the tunnel, you’d be as safe as a bug in a firehose. Alldredge noted that at least one of the men had trekked through the gulch previously. “They had the proper bags, equipment, food, and other items for this specific journey. According to CNN, he stated that the conditions were more severe than anyone anticipated.