A Colorado hiker sank hip-deep into near-freezing quicksand in Arches National Park, surviving hours of terror only thanks to heroic rescuers—highlighting America’s vital national treasures and the self-reliance needed to protect them.
Story Snapshot
- 34-year-old Colorado man trapped up to his hip in quicksand on Devil’s Garden Trail, January 25, 2020, facing hypothermia in sub-freezing conditions.
- Girlfriend hiked miles for help; NPS rangers and Grand County SAR executed complex technical rescue with helicopter evacuation.
- Incident underscores real dangers of winter desert hiking, including rare but deadly quicksand in saturated streambeds.
- National Park Service leverages story for safety education, stressing preparation over government dependency.
The Harrowing Incident Unfolds
On January 25, 2020, a 34-year-old man from Colorado hiked the Devil’s Garden Trail in Arches National Park with his girlfriend. Near a stream crossing, he stepped into saturated sand that turned into quicksand, sinking to his left hip. Self-rescue attempts failed as near-freezing water repeatedly doused him, triggering hypothermia risks. His girlfriend could not free him and hiked several miles back to the trailhead for aid. Temperatures hovered near freezing with snow on the ground, amplifying the danger in this remote high-desert area.
Rescuers Mobilize in Winter Conditions
Park rangers met the girlfriend and alerted Grand County Search and Rescue. Teams assembled technical gear and hiked miles into the backcountry despite winter hazards. Rescuers arrived in late afternoon, employing rigging, shovels, and extraction tools to free the man’s leg from viscous quicksand after hours of effort. Exhausted and injured, he could not walk; teams wrapped him for hypothermia protection and placed him on a litter for carry-out over rugged terrain.
Helicopter Short-Haul Saves the Day
Deteriorating conditions and distance from the trailhead prompted a helicopter short-haul operation. Aviation partners airlifted the hiker and rescuers to a landing zone, then transported him to Moab Regional Hospital. He recovered fully, with no long-term issues reported. National Park Service rangers led the operation, showcasing interagency coordination between NPS and volunteer-driven Grand County SAR. This complex winter rescue highlighted professional readiness in Utah’s national parks.
Arches National Park, near Moab, draws over 1.6 million visitors yearly to its sandstone arches. Devil’s Garden, at the park road’s end, features rugged trails with slickrock, sand, and seasonal streams. Winter brings snowmelt and freeze-thaw cycles that saturate sands, forming quicksand in streambeds—water-logged silt where friction fails, causing sinking. NPS warns of such hazards in desert canyons like Zion’s Narrows.
Rescuers save hiker stuck for hours in near-freezing quicksand in Arches National Parkhttps://t.co/AX4vfH0FrF
— St. George News (@STGnews) December 11, 2025
Lessons for Self-Reliant Patriots
Quicksand, often dismissed as fiction, proves real in Colorado Plateau parks after rains or melt. The hiker’s ordeal reinforces NPS messaging: check weather, stick to trails, probe muddy crossings with poles, carry extra gear, and avoid solo hikes. High visitation strains resources; personal preparation prevents burdening taxpayer-funded SAR teams. Successful rescues like this build confidence in local heroes while urging responsibility over recklessness.
Sources:
Rescuers save hiker stuck for hours in near-freezing quicksand in Arches National Park
Hiker trapped in ‘quicksand’ for hours in Utah’s Arches National Park rescued by helicopter
Hiker rescued from quicksand in Utah’s Arches National Park after being trapped for hours
