SALT LAKE CITY – One person was struck by a rockslide in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Saturday, August 10.
The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team received multiple calls that three people had been struck by falling rocks below the summit of Pfeifferhorn. The team was told one person had suffered a “serious leg injury,” according to a post on Facebook.
Helicopters began searching for the suspected injured hikers and rescue teams hiked up the trail.
The SLCOS explained that the helicopters were unable to locate the group because “a large number of hikers were waving wildly at the helicopters,” which reportedly made it difficult for the helicopters to figure out what was going on.
After speaking with various groups along the trail, Search and Rescue determined that only one person had been struck by a rockfall and suffered a hand injury. The hiker was found on the trail below Red Pine Lake and was able to continue hiking on her own.
On Friday, August 9, the Salt Lake County Search and Rescue Unit was called to the same area to search for a delayed hiker after a family member feared he was not home Friday morning.
The hiker set out on a multi-day backpacking trip on Tuesday evening and planned to spend a few days at Red Pine Lake and climb the peaks of Pfeifferhorn and White Baldy.
The post states that the last time the family heard from her was a photo the hiker sent from the summit of the Pfeifferhorn.
Search and rescue traversed the area and deployed helicopters and found the hiker on the Red Pine Trail. The incident was traced to a misunderstanding regarding the hiker’s travel route. Teams said they hiked with her back to the trailhead and began their journey home.
Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue said cell reception at Red Pine Lake was “poor at best,” but that calls can usually be made at the top of Pfeifferhorn, but reception is worse on the descent.
“This is true for many areas in the Wasatch region. Keep this in mind if you need assistance or want to let someone know how your hike is going.”
The article reports that the two hikers involved in the search and rescue operation over the weekend knew nothing about the search for them and did not call for help.
