ST. GEORGE – A shed antler hunting excursion for a Monticello man turned unto an overnight stay last week after he fell down steep terrain, leaving him injured and unable to move.
According to a statement from the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded a missing person report Thursday in the Montezuma Canyon area 14 miles southeast of Monticello on county road 146.
While the vehicle of the missing person, Monticello resident Jared Crane, was located by deputies near the roadway, the search had to be called off as night set in. The following morning the search resumed as deputies were able to follow tracks left by Crane.
The search was joined Friday by helicopters from the Utah Department of Public Safety and Classic Air Medical.
Crane was ultimately found by the DPS helicopter around 6 p.m. Friday at the base of some steep terrain, according the Sheriff’s Office.
“Jared Crane had fallen several feet and was unable to move due to broken bones and a punctured lung,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Crane was hoisted out of the area by a DPS helicopter and taken to a waiting ambulance that transported him to the San Juan County Hospital in Monticello. From there he was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colorado.
When venturing into the outdoors for activities like shed antler hunting, the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and similar federal and state agencies recommend going with a companion. If a person prefers to go alone, they are strongly encouraged to let others know where they plan to go, as well as the approximate time they plan to return.
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