The hikers were a father and daughter lost in Canyonlands and a woman who passed out at Snow Canyon state park
Three hikers died over the weekend in suspected heat-related cases at state and national parks in Utah, including a father and daughter who got lost on a strenuous hike in Canyonlands national park in triple-digit temperatures.
The daughter, 23, and her father, 52, sent a 911 text alerting dispatchers that they were lost and had run out of water while hiking the 8.1-mile (13km) Syncline Loop, described by the National Park Service as the most challenging trail in the Island in the Sky district of the south-east Utah park.
The pair set out on Friday to navigate steep switchbacks and scramble through boulder fields with limited trail markers as the air temperature surpassed 100F (38C).
Texting 911 that you’re dying is the most Gen Z thing I’ve ever heard of.
They most likely did not have a cell signal. It’s the canyonlands, it’s 30 miles as the crow flies from the nearest town. There’s nothing but nature as far as the eye can see.
They might have used satellite texting.
You don’t need a cell signal to dial 911.
Oh yeah? It just magically connects to… nothing then?
Pretty sure you’re thinking that you don’t need a plan to call, but you definitely need a signal.
You absolutely do.
Don’t know why you are getting downvotes, it’s like people havent heard that the iphone 14 can connect to satellites directly for emergencies
It connects to text. Not to call. Which is literally what my first comment said. You cannot call 911 on an iPhone with a satellite connection. They’re getting downvoted because it’s unequivocally incorrect.
But you can also send your location with it
First: what in the world does that have to do with the claim that you can make a call on satellite???
Second: sending your location with text would be easier. Especially on an iPhone where it automatically does that.
Why in the world are you arguing this? You can’t make a call on a satellite with an iPhone. It’s not possible. And emergency texting via satellite on iPhone automatically sends your location, so you’re doubly wrong??? There’s no need for a phone call at all.
Actually, it’s faster than calling. So what you’re saying is gen-z is faster and more efficient? I’m not sure about that but I bet they appreciate support from someone so old.
Joke aside, I text 911 because it’s faster for them to handle multiple incoming texts at once. You skip the line.
Source: I briefly dated a 911 operator. Wild stories, and a surprising amount of office drama.
Could be SMS was the only thing that could get out. In order for SMS to work your phone basically only needs to ping the tower. No data connection at all needed.
ThErE iS nO cLiMaTe ChAnGe
Does that count for Darwin awards? Why on earth would you go out hiking in 100+ degree weather? That’d be the same as asking me to swim a few miles into the ocean with no floaty devices during a monsoon. Just crazy.
