Utah rescuers inadvertently find family that was stranded for 2 days
The Department of Public Safety was searching for a missing kayaker.
— -- Utah rescuers located a family of four that had been stranded along a river for two days, inadvertently finding them while searching for a missing kayaker, authorities said.
While on a search-and-rescue call for the kayaker along the Escalante River on Sunday, a helicopter crew from the Utah Department of Public Safety and a Garfield County sheriff's deputy came across the family members, who appeared to be in "obvious distress," the DPS said in a press release.
Utah DPS chief pilot Luke Bowman told ABC's Salt Lake City affiliate, KTVX, that he and the helicopter's flight commander spotted the father first.
"We saw a guy step out on a sandbar and started waving at us — signaling and waving his hat in the air," Bowman said.
After the helicopter landed, the crew learned that the family members — a mother, a father and their two teenage daughters, as well as their dog — had been paddling on the river and crashed into boulders during high water after a big storm, losing their boats and paddles and leaving them stranded, according to the DPS. The family spent two nights in a steep canyon, KTVX reported.
"The mom [Julie Vonesh] especially was very excited that we were there," Bowman said. "She kind of made a comment like, 'I don't care what happens. Just get me out of the canyon.' They were pretty excited. They were ready to get out."
The father, Jay Vonesh, told ABC's Denver affiliate, KMGH, that the Escalante River became dangerous when rough weather moved into the area.
"Our boats got stuck on boulders. We got swept under the boulders. It was terrifying," he said.
Julie Vonesh said the family had enough food to get them through a day or two. "We just kind of didn't know what we were going to do," she said.
Jay Vonesh, a pastor in Bailey, Colorado, said their faith helped them through the ordeal.
He said, "We sat on a sandbar and basically said, 'God, can you give us a hand here? We're out of options,'" and within "two minutes," the DPS helicopter showed up.
"As soon as I saw the helicopter, I started, like, crying," one of the daughters, Janae Vonesh, said. "I was just so happy, and I was just thinking about all of my friends at home."
The Voneshes were airlifted to the Escalante Municipal Airport, the DPS said, adding that the kayaker who was the intended subject of the search returned safely on his own later.
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