Video shows rescue of injured police officer from a slot canyon

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah — An incredible chopper rescue of a Southern Utah police officer who fell down a slot canyon with his motorcycle was caught on video.

 According to search and rescue, officer Brad Coleman spent up to 20 hours, cold, wet, and in critical condition with multiple fractures, before being rescued.

“We did find the bike and we do see his helmet, and we do see he’s down there with the bike and moving. Oh alright!,” said a member of the crew on board the Utah Department of Public Safety chopper as they spotted Coleman. “Lets see if we can land and make contact with him.”

“Had he not been wearing his motorcycle gear and helmet, I think this would have turned out a lot worse,” Sgt. Darrell Cashin with Washington County Search and Rescue said. “He was in there and getting rained on and it’s cold and he’s injured. I highly suspect he was quite hypothermic on top of all the injuries that he had.” 

It was Saturday afternoon when Coleman took off on his motorcycle in the popular trail area of Warner Valley Southeast of St. George. When he didn’t return that night his wife called the police.

Crews searched for him until 3:30 in the morning. They returned at daylight Sunday to continue the search.

Crews finally found him at approximately 8:30 Sunday morning. It then took about an hour to hoist him out with the use of the Department of Public Safety helicopter.

“The helicopter and the hoist were absolutely critical to his outcome,” Cashin said. “Getting equipment in there and getting crews in there would have taken at least two to three hours.”

Coleman was airlifted to a St. George hospital in critical but stable condition. His family released a statement saying, they are so grateful Brad is with them today and they are praying for his speedy recovery.