Climbing
The Gephardt Daily reports that on Saturday morning, a hiker was hoisted off Mount Timpanogos, Utah, after his feet froze, and he sent out a distress call.
The incident occurred when a man in his mid-20s reported he could not feel his feet, meaning he could not descend the mountain. Utah County Sheriff’s Office received the call at approximately 11:30 a.m. and initiated a rescue operation.
Sgt. Spencer Cannon, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, stated, “The feet are the problem, and they can’t walk. Carrying them down would take many hours from that location, so they’ve called for helicopters to do the hoist.”
Life Flight and a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter were dispatched. The hiker was successfully airlifted, examined on-site, and transported to his residence.
Mount Timpanogos is the second-highest peak in the Wasatch Range, at 11,752 feet. While valley temperatures hovered around 48 degrees Fahrenheit, Cannon estimated the temperature at the hiker’s elevation to be in the 20s or 30s.
Rescuers took the opportunity to remind us that this serves as a stark reminder of the rapid weather changes that can occur at high altitudes, even as lower elevations experience milder autumn conditions.
Cannon emphasized the importance of preparedness: “Anytime you go up there, but especially this time of year, you must plan for the worst. The worst is that you’re going to either come upon snow or you’re going to get snow and cold weather.”
