Lost dad and son trapped overnight on steep cliff — then a ‘twist of fate’ saves them
A father and his 13-year-old son got lost while hiking in a Utah slot canyon and became stranded overnight on a shallow ledge on the steep cliffside, officials said.
But a surprising “twist of fate” helped keep them hydrated, warm and fed as rescuers worked to save them.
Infrared footage posted to Utah Highway Patrol’s Instagram shows the pair waving at a rescue helicopter from the ledge in Snow Canyon State Park with what looks like a tarp or blanket draped over them, the video posted Feb. 19 shows.
“They’re waving at us,” a rescuer says in the video.
Video shows the rescuer maneuvering around the emergency blanket, which the pair had found in an abandoned backpack on the ledge, officials said. It had been left behind by another hiker who was previously rescued from the same area.
Inside was food, water, and the emergency blankets, officials said.
Rescuers hoisted the hikers up into the helicopter, video shows.
“Incredible story, great rescue,” someone commented on the post.
“Glad for the happy ending,” another person said. “Sounds like that backpack should be restocked and placed back into the canyon.”
Snow Canyon is located in southwestern Utah, about a 60-mile drive west of Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park.
This story was originally published February 21, 2025 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Lost dad and son trapped overnight on steep cliff — then a ‘twist of fate’ saves them."
