A man's leisurely pursuit of a "cold plunge" in Big Cottonwood Creek turned perilous when he was swept away by swift currents on Sunday. Fortunately, he was rescued thanks to the efforts of the Unified Fire Authority (UFA). According to FOX13, the man, caught amid a powerful river, was stranded on a rock before being lifted to safety by a specialized rescue team.
Crews responded to the incident near the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon around 5 p.m. and found the man clinging to a rock after being dragged approximately 50 feet downstream. UFA deployed a ladder truck and established a rope rescue system while positioning a team downstream equipped with a safety net, should the man be swept away again. As reported by KSLTV, the victim was provided with a helmet and a life vest during the operation, a measure which likely contributed to his survival.
The rescue operation took about an hour, with a UFA rescuer being lowered down to secure the man in a harness before he was successfully raised to dry land. "This very well could have turned into a recovery incident, though, with the nature of the water right now, how cold it is, how fast it's moving," UFA public information officer Kelly Bird emphasized, as per FOX13. After the rescue, the man was taken into care by medical personnel.
