MILLCREEK CANYON — The family of a 17-year-old hiker who spent more than a day in snowy Millcreek Canyon after setting out alone says he is doing well as he recovers from frostbite in a Salt Lake City hospital.
Nicolas Alcantara’s family members thanked rescuers and first responders in a Saturday statement released by the University of Utah Health system. They said they’re also grateful to the backcountry skiers who spotted him on Friday, allowing rescuers to locate him a short time later.
“They’d also like to express their appreciation for the outpouring of support and prayers they’ve received,” the statement says.
Rescue crews said they had begun to lose hope they would find the teenager alive after finding his backpack and jeans in a snow cave and his boots nearby. They believed the signs indicated early stages of hypothermia, when a person mistakenly believes their body is warm, said Rick Vollmer, the first volunteer to come across Alcantara.
They located him early Friday afternoon in a field near the Red Pine Trail and uphill from Dog Lake, about 6 miles from where an Uber driver had dropped him off about 30 hours earlier. He was flown to University Hospital, where he was recovering Saturday.
The teenager from Fresno, California was in town visiting friends and decided to go on a hike by himself, according to Unified police.