SPRINGDALE, Washington County — Zion National Park rangers are touting the success of a new inflatable raft specifically designed for the park after rangers used it for the first time for a rescue Tuesday.
Chris Eddy of Spokane, Wash., injured his ankle about 3:55 p.m. in the Narrows. He was unable to continue hiking and had to be evacuated, a Zion National Park statement said.
Rescuers splinted his ankle, placed him on a litter and placed the litter on the inflatable rescue raft. Eddy and the rescuers left the Narrows by way of the North Fork Virgin River, the statement said.
Eddy was taken by ambulance to the Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George and was treated for a fractured ankle, the statement said.
Rescuers are pleased with the performance of the raft, which was custom designed for the park. It consists of two inflatable pontoons connected by four supports where a litter can be strapped, the statement said.