Women stuck 10 hours on mountainside in ‘waist-deep snow’ rescued by Utah officials

Two women were rescued in Utah after spending 10 hours on a mountain stuck in deep snow, local media reports.

The two women, 18 and 21, were “hypothermic and tired” when they were found on Big Baldy, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said on Twitter.

They weren’t dressed for the snow or cold, the sheriff’s office said.

Spencer Cannon, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told 2 News that the women were wearing light jackets and low-cut shoes with either low-cut socks or no socks at all.

In a Facebook post, the sheriff’s office’s search and rescue team said the women had been stuck on the mountain for over 10 hours in freezing conditions and that they were “waist deep in snow, cold and exhausted” when they were found.

The rescue operation took five hours and required multiple teams to be deployed to various locations, the post said.

Two trail runners helped get the women to an area where the search and rescue team could reach them, 2 News reported.

From there, rescuers were able to reach the women, treat them for hypothermia and bring them down the mountain, the post said.

“We are hopeful they are home staying warm and recovering well,” the post said.

This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Women stuck 10 hours on mountainside in ‘waist-deep snow’ rescued by Utah officials."