Rescue video captures Florida man rescued from flooded southwest canyon Two friends identified
video from Utah Department of Public Safety It shows the moments when a Florida man was pulled from a flooded canyon near the Utah-Arizona border where his two friends lost their lives.
Ed Smith, Jeff Watson and Bill Romaniello set out on a 45-mile hike March 10 in Buckskin Gulch, the longest canyon in North America, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office said.
“When they had not contacted their family by Monday morning, one of their wives called to report that they were late for the scheduled time,” a press release read.
Kane County Sheriff’s search and rescue personnel have begun preparing to respond to the area. The Utah DPS helicopter was ordered from St. George, the second with lifting capabilities was dispatched from Salt Lake City. The helicopters arrived shortly after noon and began searching the valley.
Two men were found dead near the Utah-Arizona border after a canyon flood
Atmospheric river storms swept parts of the western United States The guys were hiking at the weekend, He raised the water level in the gullies before additional floodwater seeped into the slot gullies.
At about 5 p.m., DPS located a lone individual using its infrared camera. A responder was lowered into the valley to lift Smith. He was very cold and weak, but on Saturday morning he could tell that his group had been hit by a flash flood, which carried them downstream.
Smith and Watson manage to regroup and search for Romaniello but are separated due to Watson dealing with a leg injury. Smith continued to search for help.
HIKER DIES ON UTAH’S ARCHES NATIONAL PARK TRAIL, SECOND DEATH IN A MONTH
A responder was lowered into the valley to lift Ed Smith. (Utah Department of Public Safety)
Romaniello’s body was found by the crew on 13 March. Watson was found dead two days later.
The trio worked together at Orthopedic Group of Tampa Bay, Inc. Depending on the business location. Smith is the chief clinical officer. Watson was an orthopedic surgeon, and Romaniello was director of sports medicine.
“Tragedy has struck the practice, and it is with deep sadness that we share the loss of Dr. Jeffrey Watson and William Romaniello, ATC, two pillars of the practice who leave an incredible legacy and a huge void in the hearts of all who knew them,” the Tampa Bay Osteopathic Medical Group posted on Facebook.
Called to the initial group of three, Department of Public Safety helicopters helped pull out 11 more people last week who were stuck in freezing floodwaters and called for help.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
