Drone Helps Rescue Hiker Trapped In Utah Quicksand

A 33-year-old hiker was rescued after spending hours trapped knee-deep in quicksand at Utah’s Arches National Park on December 7th. Austin Dirks of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, became stuck near Courthouse Wash during a 20-mile backpacking trip. “I’m no stranger to getting my feet wet, or, you know, having to trudge through mud even,” Dirks told Backpacker magazine. “So [initially] it didn’t, it didn’t strike me as unusual.” Grand County Search and Rescue teams used a drone to locate Dirks in 21-degree temperatures. Rescue technician Jake Blackwelder said, “He was pretty tired and stuck and ready to get out.” Using ladders and vehicle traction boards, responders freed Dirks, whose leg had lost feeling. “When they finally pulled me free, my shoe almost tore off but held on,” Dirks wrote on Reddit. The mission marked the team’s 142nd rescue of the year. (Story URL)