Category Archives: Coconino County Sheriff

Lost 14 Year Old Hiker Located in Paria Canyon

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PAGE—Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, the Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue Helicopter from Flagstaff and the Kane County, Utah Sheriff’s Office located and rescued a lost 14 year old boy, who had become separated from his party while hiking Paria Canyon.

Around 11:00 pm, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a lost hiker in the Paria Canyon in Northern Arizona, just off the Utah border. A church Boy Scout group from Mesa, AZ consisting of a scout leader and six scouts were on day two of a multi-day hike in the canyon. The group had entered the canyon at the Wire Pass Trailhead.

At some time Wednesday afternoon, the 14 year old boy became separated from his party. Due to a lack of communication from inside the canyon, the scout leader hiked the group out to Lee’s Ferry where they reported the lost subject.

The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit requested assistance from DPS Ranger Helicopter, while searchers from Kane County Sheriff’s Office and Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area to conduct ground searches.

The DPS Air Rescue Helicopter and crew flew into the canyon and located the missing boy around 3:30 am. The flight crew was able to land the helicopter in the canyon and transported the boy out to Lee’s Ferry.

The boy had become separated when he stopped due to a muscle cramp. He attempted to catch up to his party, but could not do so before nightfall. The boy walked back up the canyon to a wide area in the canyon, where he placed his sleeping bag out in the open to be visible for searchers. He was medically assessed on scene and suffered no injuries. Search and Rescue crews transported the boy to Flagstaff, where he was reunited with his parents.

The availability and response of the DPS Air Rescue Helicopter was invaluable in the quick location and recovery of the hiker.

Two Stranded Hikers Rescued from West Fork in Oak Creek Canyon

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SEDONA—Two male hikers, one seventeen and one twenty years of age both of Scottsdale, Arizona, were rescued by Coconino County Sheriff’s Office personnel late Saturday evening after they found themselves in darkness with no flashlights or other light sources.

On Saturday, June 1, 2013 at about 8:43 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Sedona Fire Department (SFD). According to a SFD dispatcher, she received a 911 emergency call from one of two hikers who were stranded in West Fork Canyon in extremely dark conditions in the absence of a visible moon. The Sedona Fire Emergency Dispatch was able to determine latitude and longitude for the cell phone call, within approximately 100 feet, because they are equipped with a 911 Enhanced emergency call system that provides cell phone location information.

Furnished with a precise location of the stranded youth, a team comprised of a Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputy, a Search and Rescue Coordinator and a Search and Rescue Volunteer responded to the West Fork Trailhead and hiked approximately two miles to the victims’ location. Rescuers reached the victims at about 11:10 pm and provided each with a flashlight. The rescuers then accompanied the two hikers back to the trailhead.

The men and women of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit would like to remind hikers and hunters to leave a detailed trip plan with a trusted person and be prepared for the unexpected night out in the event of an accident or other emergency. Carry the 10 Essentials: extra water, food, warm clothing, navigation equipment, a headlamp or flashlight, a first aid kit, shelter material, a fire starting kit, a pocket knife, and signaling equipment like a signal mirror and whistle. These can be important tools to help you stay safe in the outdoors and to aid searchers in locating you. During the summer months extreme caution with fire is urged in order to prevent a wildfire.