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By Doyle E. Smith Tribune Staff Writer and Tribune Correspondents GREEN RIVER — A Hill Air Force Base helicopter rescued 24 Boy Scouts and their three leaders. Sunday from Desolation Canyon where they were trapped Thursday while shooting rapids of the Green River. One scout, Edwin Per Dahl McCarthy, 14, Albuquerque, N. M., drowned when their 10 rafts collided with logs and overturned. * Four* boys, including ‘the victim, became separated from the main party. Discovery of young McCarthy’s body Sat urday about 6 p.m. triggered the search. The helicopter crew-of fi e took the group from the nearly-inaccessible area to Price where they were fed by offi cials. . . The scouts aged 11 to 17, of Troop 442, Albuquerque, left Ouray Tuesday abroad the rubber rafts that were to carry them to the town of Green River by noon Sat urday. ~ “Everything was going fine until Thursday, when we encountered some Gees which were washed into the river,” said Scoutmaster John ~ Ungvarsky. “They came up unexpectedly, and we col lided with them.” All the ‘rafts, tied together with a rope, overturned at 3 p.m. Everyone was thrown into the river and most of the food and gear was lost. Authorities were amazed that the 27 survived. Tried to Save Other Boy Rescuers said Jim Bernardoni, 11, lost his life jacket. Young McCarthy told the boy to cling to him and they were swept downstream several miles. Then Bernar doni snagged on an old tree near shore and was able to reach the bank. He was found Sunday by a boater. _ Two other boys, George Kluf, 14, and Tim Golden, 15, went ashore about 10 miles downstream from the main party. They also were found Sunday. “I think we're getting blisters and we were hungry, but we were pretty sure they’d find us,” young Kluf said. He and Golden told os surviving on wild berries and spring water. At night they ‘buried themselves in ashes from old campfires to keep warm. They were picked up by a private excursion company operating on the river. The main party went ashore at Rock Creek, 21 miles east of Price. John Wellington, Dan Worrell and Doby S. Neilson, all of Salt Lake City, and Kent G. Thalmar, Logan, discovered young McCarthy’s body. Emery County. Sheriff John Seamast er said the victim did not appear to have been dead long. . . Pilot Jim Hurst of the Green River Air Service flew over the main party late Saturday night. He returned early Sun day, landed in a small field and flew out the scoutmaster. A helicopter crew, including two paramedics, was summoned and an HC130 Hercules also was dispatched from HAFB to provide aerial refueling and serve as an airborne communica tions post. Following the rescue, the scouts were taken to Price, treated to a meal, and allowed to use the city pool, normally closed Sundays.” They were then taken to Moat and scheduled the return trip to Albuquerque for early Monday. Mr. Ungvatsky said’ food was short during the three days and nights the main group was stranded. “We rationed food. At the end, two ‘cans of Spain pro vided the meal for all of us,” he said. He said the boys’ spirit was good until near the end, “when they were wonder ‘ing if’ word ‘ever reached ‘anybody who could help. . The leader,an engineer at Kirtland Air Force Base, said the troop trained nearly five months for the wip and had undertaken a ‘similar trip on the Rio Grande before the Green River cruise, Rugged Wilderness The accident was in some of the na tion’s most scenic but rugged country, 40 miles north of Green’ River. He said all the scouts were trained in boat handling, swimming and lifesaving. “I think because we trained so intensive ly ... that’s the reason they did so well,” The scoutmaster added: “They were really excited about this trip and if we had had to cancel it for sme reason, they would never have forgiven me.” The, one victim was within one merit badge ‘of being a Star Scout, Mr. Uvyar sky said. A Star Scout is five steps below an Eagle, Catbor County Sheriff Albert Passie said inexperienced boaters just do not realize the danger in Desolation Canyon's rapids. “The kids were attempting to run the Desolation Canyon route in four-man rub ber rafts, the sheriff said. “Exper ienced river runners use extremely large rafts — 5) to 75-man ratings — to run this section,’” PARTY , STRANDED HERE DRAGERTON, —_ . ROCK CREEK WOODSID: BODY FOUND HERE GREEN RIVER CRESCENT JUNCTION Map shows isolated areas involv ed in rescue of scout troop.
Newspaper Details
Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake City, Utah, US
Mon, Jun 28, 1971
Page 35
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 21 Jun 2026
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