benedek/iStock(NEW YORK ) — An Arizona man was rescued at Zion National Park after his leg got stuck in quicksand while hiking during a winter storm on Saturday.
The National Park Service told ABC News it nearly two days to rescue the 34-year-old male. He and his female companion had hiked three hours up the Left Fork of the North Creek, also known as the Subway route, at Zion National Park before he got swallowed by the quicksand. Neither the man nor the woman’s name was released publicly and details of how the man got trapped in quicksand were not immediately available.
After an unsuccessful attempt to free his leg from the quicksand, the woman hiked three hours back to find phone service and call for help, park officials said.
Rangers with the Zion Search and Rescue found the female companion close to the trailhead and treated her for hypothermia.
After several hours of searching, NPS located the man, who was suffering from exposure, hypothermia and extremity injuries. It took rescuers two hours to free his leg.
Rangers spent the night in freezing conditions tending to the male. The park reported four additional inches of snow overnight.
A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter responded to the Search and Rescue team the following morning. It took DPS until Sunday afternoon to safely land due to extreme weather conditions.
The NPS advises hikers to use extreme caution during this winter season.
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