Injured hunter rescued south of Heber City after helicopter extraction called off

Rescuers prepare an injured hunter for evacuation as a vivid red sunset lights up the sky south of Heber City on Oct. 20, 2025. High winds forced crews to carry the patient out on foot. Photo: Wasatch County Search & Rescue

HEBER CITY, Utah — A 32-year-old hunter with a broken leg was rescued Sunday evening in rugged terrain south of Heber City after high winds forced a helicopter crew to abort a planned hoist, according to Wasatch County Search and Rescue.

First responders were dispatched around 5:48 p.m. on Oct. 19 to the Big Hollow area, where the injured man was located. A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter responded, but gusty conditions made an aerial rescue unsafe.

Rescuers instead loaded the man into a Stokes basket and carried him out on foot to a waiting ambulance. The operation took approximately 2.5 hours.

Officials noted dramatic skies during the rescue, describing the scene as “on fire” as the sun set over the mountains. Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, Wasatch County Search & Rescue, Wasatch Fire and Utah Department of Public Safety assisted in the response. The man’s name has not been released.