MOAB, Utah — It was supposed to be a trip offering a firsthand look at issues boaters face in Cataract Canyon along the Colorado River. Then they got stuck.
A staffer for Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, was among those who got trapped on the river and had to be rescued by a Department of Public Safety helicopter. An incident report and video obtained by FOX 13 News under a public records requests details the dramatic rescue.
"River running brings an element of surprise," said Lt. Brody Young of the Utah Department of Natural Resources' law enforcement division, who was among those involved in the rescue effort.
The incident happened May 11. Larry Ellertson, who does constituent outreach for Sen. Curtis, was on the boat with his spouse and two others. Sgt. Jeff Arbon was piloting the boat, the incident report said. The purpose of the trip was to explore potential new boat takeout locations in Cataract Canyon, Lt. Young said, as Lake Powell's levels have dropped in recent years.
"What boaters are now doing is either setting up this intricate system where they use pulleys and winches to get boats up a 200-foot ramp that’s at a 35-degree angle," Lt. Young said in an interview with FOX 13 News on Wednesday. "It’s just made it impossible. Why they were on that trip was to look at infrastructure and hopefully find more solutions to this issue. We have thousands of boaters."
Sen. Curtis' office is one that could help with funding and other federal resources.
But the boat was attempting to navigate the "Big Drop 3" rapid when it got stuck.
"To successfully navigate this rapid, the boat needs to be lined up in an area that will allow it to float through a slot that is created by boulders. The slot cannot be seen approaching the rapid, it comes into view as you drop into the rapid. I was too far right of the slot when I dropped into the rapid, and the boat became stuck on two boulders," Sgt. Arbon wrote in the report.
A nearby rafting company attempted to help get the boat free, but was unable to. With dark approaching and other efforts by National Park Service rangers to free the boat unsuccessful, Sgt. Arbon wrote that he called in the DPS helicopter to pick up the passengers and safely take them to the shore.
Because the boat could not be freed, Sgt. Arbon stayed with it for two days until rescuers could come up with a way to free it. Lt. Young said what they ended up doing was deflating one of the tubes enough that water could drain and the boat could get off the rocks. It continued down to Bullfrog Marina at Lake Powell.
"Honestly, we pry boats off there all the time," Lt. Young said. "I don’t know if it’s karma... maybe it was our turn to get stuck. We just needed rescuing."
As a result of the incident, Utah's Department of Natural Resources said it would examine its policies about such ridealongs, though Lt. Young said they have done hundreds of them for dignitaries without incident.
In a way, the rescue highlighted one of the problems natural resources officials were exploring with the new boat takeout. Sen. Curtis' office declined to make Ellertson available for an interview, but said in a statement they were grateful for Sgt. Arbon and the rescue team's swift, professional response.
"Thankfully, no one was injured. The trip was intended to highlight the need for safer river takeouts in Cataract Canyon, and this incident is a clear reminder of why that work matters," the office said. "Sen. Curtis will continue working with the National Park Service and Utah’s Department of Natural Resources to improve safety and access along the river."
This article is published through the Colorado River Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative supported by the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University. See all of our stories about how Utahns are impacted by the Colorado River at greatsaltlakenews.org/coloradoriver
