PROVO, Utah — A woman who was stuck in deep mud near the shore of Utah Lake for about two hours was rescued Sunday evening.
The 19-year-old was in a boat with her father in the Provo Bay area when the watercraft became stuck in shallow water about 3/4 mile from the shore. Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said the water there was just a few inches deep, and very muddy.
She got out and attempted to free the boat by pushing it, but then she got stuck. Police received the call for help around 5:30 p.m.
The woman sank in the soft, deep mud to about her waist. She was stuck for nearly two hours before search and rescue volunteers with the sheriff's office managed to get her out. She was then taken to a local hospital to be treated for hypothermia.
Cannon told FOX 13 that the sheriff's office has had quite a few rescues in that area over the years. The location is near a boat access area off Mud Lane, a dirt road that runs alongside southbound I-15.
These operations often prove to be very difficult, complicated in part by tall reeds that can grow up to eight feet tall. The reeds make it hard to find the individuals who need rescuing, even if they have a GPS location.
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The rescue crews also have to avoid getting stuck themselves in the process. Cannon says the department has an airboat and another specialized watercraft called a "mud buddy" to access areas with extremely shallow water.
Once they have located and accessed the person(s), SAR crews still face the difficult task of breaking the mud's suction and lifting them out — all the while avoiding injuries such as dislocation or strains.
