2 Climbers Rescued from Utah Canyon After Getting Stranded for Hours in the Dark

Stranded climbers being rescued.Photo: Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue/ FACEBOOK

Two climbers were safely rescued after they became stranded in the dark on a Utah canyon, according to officials.

The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue teamconfirmed the incident in a post on Facebook, explaining that they were alerted of the stranded climbers on Friday night around 11:15 p.m.

The route is located approximately 21 miles southeast of Salt Lake City and reaches an elevation of 6,127 feet, according toMountain Project.

Stranded climbers being rescued.Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue/ FACEBOOK

Search and rescue teams saving the two climbers.Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue/ FACEBOOK

“They completed the 5-pitch route late in the evening and didn’t know the decent route or have adequate light to be able to find the rappel stations to get back off the route in the dark,” Salt Lake County officials explained in their post.

After the climbers called for help, search and rescue teams worked for two and a half hours in order to bring the pair to safety, according to the post.

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During the rescue, officials said a team who was familiar with the route stood at the base of the climbers' descent and shined high power lights onto them.

From there, the rescue team was able to guide the climbers safely through the rappel stations and toward the ground.

The moment was captured in multiple photos and later shared on the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team’s Facebook.

By 2 a.m., authorities confirmed that everyone had made it safely off the mountain, according to the post.

The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office credited the rescue team, who are all volunteers, for saving the climbers' lives.

source: people.com