A father and son stranded in near freezing temperatures on a mountainside in Southern Utah were saved in a daring rescue captured on video last week.
The father and his 12-year-old son were hiking on a steep cliffside in Snow Canyon State Park, about 300 miles south of Salt Lake City, when they became stuck, according to a news release from the state Department of Public Safety. The pair found themselves stranded without a working phone.
In a twist of fate, a hiker who became stranded in the same area weeks earlier left behind a backpack filled with food, water and emergency blankets that the father and son were able to use as they waited for rescue, the Department of Safety said.
The man’s wife had alerted authorities that the two were missing, leading to a search-and-rescue mission by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office through the night.
The helicopter found the pair in the early-morning hours, “stranded on a shallow ledge,” the Department of Public Safety said.
The video shows the helicopter flying over the pair, who could be seen waving at the crew, and eventually hoisting them up to safety.
The father, 33-year-old Julian Hernandez, told NBC News that he’s grateful they were rescued and will prepare for the worst in future hikes.
Levi Dittman, 15, who was stranded in the same location as the pair just weeks earlier and left the backpack behind, told NBC News he was grateful he could help them.
“That’s what the backpack was intended for, was to help someone,” he said.
It’s not clear where Hernandez and son were taken after they were rescued, or what their current condition is.
