WATCH: Ranger rescues paddleboarder trapped under bridge on Utah river

The Hill

2 days ago

WASATCH COUNTY, Utah (KTVX) – Body camera footage from a rescue on a river in Utah shows a ranger and bystanders helping to save a woman who became trapped under a bridge.
The incident took place on the afternoon of June 28, when a ranger was approached by a citizen near the Trestle Bridge, which is located along the part of the Provo River in Wasatch County. The person told the ranger that a woman who was paddleboarding under the bridge had become stuck, according to a press release from the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Law Enforcement.
Camera footage shared by the DNR shows the ranger and a bystander leaping into action, where they attempted to hold the woman's head above the rushing waters. Onlookers also begin gathering on top of the bridge, watching the rescue unfold.
At one point, the ranger can be seen entering the water with a knife to cut the woman free from the paddleboard. He instructs a citizen to pick up his radio, and tells him how to contact the county's search and rescue department.
The woman and rescue crews were in the water for roughly 30 minutes, DNR said. In the video, onlookers can be seen cheering when she's finally freed.
DNR said the water temperature that day averaged around 55 degrees Fahrenheit; Wasatch County Search and Rescue and EMS responded and provided care to those involved. Bystanders also offered up their blankets and sleeping bags to help with the hypothermic conditions.
'We thank Wasatch County Search and Rescue, EMS, and the many citizens for their successful efforts in this river rescue. We also acknowledge the life-saving efforts of our officers. They selflessly entered the water, risking their own lives to save another,' the DNR Division of Law Enforcement stated.