Trapped visitors airlifted to safety after flash floods in national park, Utah cops say
Severe flash flooding blocked roads at a national park in Utah, trapping dozens of visitors, a sheriff’s office said.
About 60 people waited for roads to be cleared on Thursday, June 23, at the Capitol Reef National Park after rain drenched the area, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said.
The National Weather Service had issued a flash flood warning that included the park from about 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Some visitors needed to be airlifted to safety after a roadway washed out to the Capitol Gorge area within the park, deputies said.
Those people were placed in a parking lot where roads were also unpassable. About 60 people waited in the lot and nearly had to spend the night there, the sheriff’s office said, but park rangers were able to clear the roads and direct guests to nearby motels.
No injuries were reported except for some cuts, deputies said.
There were seven to eight parked cars still trapped in the flooded areas, deputies said at the time of their news release.
The sheriff’s office can be reached at 435-836-1308 for more information.
This story was originally published June 24, 2022 at 1:03 PM with the headline "Trapped visitors airlifted to safety after flash floods in national park, Utah cops say."
