Chief Master Sgt. Nicholas Gascon of the 857th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron speaks at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada, Aug. 26, 2024. Seven soldiers from the base were honored with a coin for conducting a rescue operation in Zion National Park in Utah earlier this month. (Brianna Vetro/US Air Force)
Several Las Vegas-based pilots were honored this week for rescuing an apparently lifeless pregnant woman and three of her hiking companions from a flash flood in Zion National Park in Utah, according to Nellis Air Force Base officials.
Airmen 1st Class Will Martin, Demarcus Norman, Maximos Olade, Jacob Stillwell, Rony Lopez-Aguilar and Airmen Andres Parra and Christian Reyes were given command The coins were presented at a ceremony in Nellis on Monday, base officials said in a statement.
While flying on a popular route in the park earlier this month, pilots noticed rising water. As they climbed to higher ground, they spotted a woman floating on her back who appeared “battered, blue and lifeless,” the statement said.
Norman was the first to respond, jumping into the water and fighting the current to pull the woman to shore. She was barely responsive for an hour as the team called for help, Martin said.
While traveling to a better location for air evacuation, the woman said she was pregnant and was with her husband and two other people.
Eventually the group met the woman’s husband and the other hikers, one of whom was stranded on the other side of the river with a knee injury.
They formed a human chain and linked arms to bring the injured man across the river, the statement said. The victims were then taken to a safe location and flown out from there.
Chief Master Sgt. Adrienne Warren, 99th Air Base Wing command chief master sergeant, hands out coins to Airmen who helped rescue hikers from a flash flood in Zion National Park in Utah, Aug. 26, 2024, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. (Brianna Vetro/US Air Force)
Airmen pose with coins during a ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Aug. 26, 2024. The Airmen saved the lives of a pregnant woman and her companions during a flash flood in Zion National Park earlier this month. From left: Airman 1st Class Rony Lopez-Aguilar, Airman Andres Parra, Airmen 1st Class Maximos Olade and Will Martin, Airman Christian Reyes, and Airmen 1st Class Demarcus Norman and Jacob Stillwell. At far right is Chief Master Sgt. Adrienne Warren, the chief master sergeant of the 99th Airlift Wing. (Brianna Vetro/US Air Force)
A pilot displays the 99th Air Base Wing Command Chief Master Sergeant coin during a ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Aug. 26, 2024. Seven pilots were awarded coins to recognize their efforts in saving lives during a flash flood in Zion National Park. (Brianna Vetro/US Air Force)
The Virgin River flows through the spectacular rock formations of Zion National Park and in places like The Narrows, hikers are forced to walk through the river due to the lack of a hiking trail.
Nellis’ statement did not say when and where The rescue took place, but according to the park service, several flash flood warnings were in effect for Zion in August.
Known for its narrow canyons and steep terrain, Zion National Park is prone to flash flooding, which occurs when heavy rains from thunderstorms increase the speed and depth of rivers and streams, often without warning.
In 2022, a woman was swept away by rising waters in The Narrows near the Temple of Sinawava.
According to the National Park Service website, the number of visitors to Zion National Park has skyrocketed over the past 15 years or so, from 2.6 million in 2010 to a peak of just over 5 million in 2021.
This year, it was among the three most visited national parks in the United States, joining the small club of national parks that have ever exceeded the 5 million visitor mark, according to the National Park Service and Statista.
