The following information provides instructions on how to contact emergency services for assistance while engaging in outdoors activities such as paddling, hiking, camping, climbing, biking or other similar activities in remote areas of Utah. The information is presented relative to Utah Rivers, but serves the purposes of outdoors enthusiasts of other activities, as well, based upon the geographical area where those activities are being engaged. County Sheriffs have search and rescue jurisdiction on public lands and normally take the lead for such operations.
Statewide Emergency Medical Evacuations
Care Flight (Grand Junction) 1-800-332-4923
Air Med, University of Utah Medical Center 1-800-453-0120
Life Flight, Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah, 1-800-321-1911, or 801-321-1234
Green River (Desolation and Gray Canyons)
Carbon County Sheriff (435-637-0893) or Emery County Sheriff (435-381-2404), as appropriate for your location where emergency assistance is needed, or dial 911. It should be noted that many remote areas of Utah, like other states, may not have cellular service available in all places at all times. This is especially true when surrounded by high canyon walls of rock and earth. Carrying an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) may provide an extra measure of security in such remote places, but make sure it cannot be set off accidentally to save yourself embarrassment, and to avoid unnecessarily summoning emergency services that could be needed elsewhere.
Should illness or injury occur to a member of your party while on a downriver trip, the following procedures are recommended:
When the injury or illness is not life-threatening or serious it is usually best to continue paddling downriver to a point where the injured or ill person can be evacuated overland by car, ambulance or other vehicle.
In the event of a serious illness or injury, such as when body movement must be constrained or life is threatened by delays in getting professional medical assistance, helicopter evacuation should be considered. In most cases, services will be billed to the injured person. Helicopter evacuation may be initiated by contacting Life Flight in Grand Junction, Colorado (nationwide toll free 1-800-525-4224, or in Colorado, toll free 1-800-662-0050.)
Contact the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation to obtain an accident report form.