Men found safe after night on the Muddy River

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MISSING MEN RESCUED HIDDEN SPLENDOR, San Rafael Desert – June 13, 2014
Emery County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch received a call at 9 a.m. on Friday reporting a father and son from Centerville were overdue from what was intended to be a day outing. Missing were Erik Gundersen and his son Ammon.
The men had been dropped off at 9:30 a.m. Thursday to hike and raft a stretch of Muddy Creek in a remote area of Emery County. They were due at a pickup location at the airstrip near Hidden Splendor Mine on Thursday evening. They did not arrive at the pickup location and family had negative contact with them. Shortly after the call came in Friday morning, personnel from Emery County Sheriff’s Office, State Parks and Eagle Air helicopter were dispatched to search the area.
Eagle Air located the men and notified rescuers on the ground of their location. Personnel from Emery County Sheriff’s Office and State Parks transported the men out of the area to waiting family members. They were in good condition despite spending an unplanned night in the wilderness.
The men had underestimated the distance of their planned route and the time it would take to reach the pickup location.
Emery County Sheriff Greg Funk would like to stress the importance of being prepared for unforeseen circumstances by packing adequate water, food and clothing. Always make notification of where you are beginning your trip, your intended route of travel and when you are expected to return.