Boy Scouts, Leaders Rescued From Oak Creek Canyon

By Dennis Lambert
Published: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - 9:05am
Updated: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - 4:29pm
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A search and rescue team from Coconino County helped eight Boy Scouts and their three adult leaders out of the rugged West Fork area of Oak Creek Canyon over the weekend. Spokesman Gerry Blair says heavy rains have led to large and fairly deep areas of standing water in places it was not expected.

“It was a large pond and it would have had to wade across it and according to the search and rescue folks who were down there it would have been chest high on some of the boys, and they weren’t equipped with that kind of equipment or clothing to do that,” Blair said.

He says once search crews reached the scouts, some of the team stayed with the boys, while others attended to a 71-year-old adult who had suffered a leg injury, until they could get him ready to walk out. The man then declined transportation to a hospital.