Eleven visitors were stranded by flash flooding at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah on Monday around 2:30 p.m. Heavy rain swept through the area and left adult hikers in four separate groups trapped in the park.
About 15 to 20 members of the county's search and rescue team, emergency medical services and the National Park Service responded, then waited for conditions to improve before moving people out safely. After the groups were helped from the affected areas, two hikers showed signs of hypothermia and were taken to a hospital while the other nine were released.
Fairyland Loop and Navajo Loop
The flooding hit several popular trails, including Fairyland Loop, Navajo Loop, Queen's Garden and Peek-a-Boo Loop. None of the hikers was swept away, but the rain left the groups unable to continue safely through areas that had turned hazardous.
Earlier this month, Bryce Canyon officials warned visitors about the Southwest's monsoon season. The National Park Service said August and September can bring rapidly changing weather to the region, and that clear conditions can give way to intense afternoon thunderstorms that create flash floods, trail washouts, debris-filled waterfalls and rockfalls.
National Park Service warnings
The rescue response showed how fast those conditions can force a change in plan at Bryce Canyon National Park. Visitors heading into the park during August and September need to account for weather that can shift in the afternoon and affect multiple trails at once.
How serious the hikers' hypothermia cases were after the hospital transport was not made public, but the response ended with nine visitors released and the rest moved out of danger.
