Helicopters rescue stranded hikers

HANKSVILLE, Wayne County — Helicopters were used to rescue stranded hikers from the Robber's Roost area just outside Hanksville Sunday after the hikers spent the night on the mountain, officials said.

A call concerning the "injured male hiker" was received by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office about 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The man had been rappelling in Larry Canyon, near Robber's Roost, with another man when he fell and injured his knee, a press release states.

Because of the difficult terrain, the man couldn't be reached by rescuers until Sunday morning, when search and rescue crews were able to rappel to the area and stabilize him. He was then taken from the canyon by helicopter to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo.

The man's hiking companion and rescuers were also transported from the canyon by helicopter "due to nightfall, extreme terrain and freezing weather conditions," the release states.