Overview
- Austin Dirks, identified as a Colorado hiker in his 30s, was stuck up to his thighs in Courthouse Wash during a solo trek on the Hayduke Trail.
- Dirks activated a Garmin emergency beacon at 7:15 a.m., transmitting his location to Grand County Search and Rescue in Moab.
- Responders used a drone to pinpoint his position and approached with all-terrain vehicles carrying a ladder and vehicle traction boards to avoid becoming stuck.
- A park ranger reached Dirks earlier and provided a shovel, but his limbs had gone numb before the rescue team arrived.
- After extraction, rescuers warmed him on site until he could stand and walk, and he later posted a detailed first-person account on Reddit.