WOW! Crazy stuff. Monsoon canyoneering. Sensible or roulette?
Church group narrowly escapes Zion flooding BY KEN PETERSON kpeterson@thespectrum.com
ST. GEORGE – A church group of about 30 people in the lower part of The Narrows at Zion National Park had to escape to higher ground Friday when the North Fork of the Virgin River flash-flooded from heavy rains.
Park superintendent Jock Whit-worth said the group had hiked about three miles up the canyon and was making its way back when the water came up on them. He said they climbed atop some boulders to escape the flood.
A few people got off the boulders before the water subsided. One woman lost her footing and was washed down the river for about a quarter of a mile before she was able to work her way out.
Whitworth said a visitor waded across the river to give her a towel to dry off and she waited there until park rangers came to help her back across the river. Whitworth said another group was still camping in The Narrows Saturday, but is not expected to come out until late in the evening. Park officials are waiting to see if they make it out safely.
Whitworth cautions people to watch weather forecasts and if rain comes and the water starts to rise, move to higher ground and stay there until the water subsides.
bruce silliman
And someone wrote, “just be out of the canyons by 12 noon and you should be ok”. That attitude will get someone killed or seriously hurt.
Don’t expect the weather to play to your schedule. And what you can’t see can kill you, especially if the cachement basin is quite large.
bruce from bryce
>From: “adkramoo” adkramoo@aol.com
Reply-To: Yahoo Canyons Group
To: Yahoo Canyons Group
Subject: [from Canyons Group] Church group narrowly escapes Zion flooding >Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:30:12 -0000
WOW! Crazy stuff. Monsoon canyoneering. Sensible or roulette?
Church group narrowly escapes Zion flooding >BY KEN PETERSON >kpeterson@thespectrum.comST. GEORGE – A church group of about 30 people in the lower part of >The Narrows at Zion National Park had to escape to higher ground >Friday when the North Fork of the Virgin River flash-flooded from >heavy rains.
Park superintendent Jock Whit-worth said the group had hiked about >three miles up the canyon and was making its way back when the water >came up on them. He said they climbed atop some boulders to escape >the flood.
A few people got off the boulders before the water subsided. One >woman lost her footing and was washed down the river for about a >quarter of a mile before she was able to work her way out.
Whitworth said a visitor waded across the river to give her a towel >to dry off and she waited there until park rangers came to help her >back across the river. >Whitworth said another group was still camping in The Narrows >Saturday, but is not expected to come out until late in the evening. >Park officials are waiting to see if they make it out safely.
Whitworth cautions people to watch weather forecasts and if rain >comes and the water starts to rise, move to higher ground and stay >there until the water subsides.
>
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