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Show Rescue Efforts Halted Briefly For Two Youths Missing From Narrows Tragedy Rescue efforts for two unac- 'counted for youths in the Narrows Nar-rows of Zion Canyon were called off Tuesoay afternoon after two days of searching. According to Iron County Sheriff Sher-iff Otto Fife, who assisted' in the search, rescue efforts were called call-ed off until such time as debris and sediment has settled to allow al-low better opportunity for the search program. Three bodies were recovered from the rampaging Virgin Riv er, below the Zion Canyon area, and 21 persons have returned to their homes in Salt Lake City and Park City, in northern Utah, following a tragic accident in the popular hiking area of the Narrows. Nar-rows. It has been assumed by investigating inves-tigating officers that the other two young men, still unaccounted unaccount-ed for, have also perished in the muddy waters of the flooding virgin river tributary. A hiking party of 26 persons from northern Utah ranging in age from 13 to 57, began the trek through and were caught in a flash flood at approximately 11 a. m. Sunday. The initial force of the flood brought a wall of debris and large boulders in front of it and five of the members of the party were apparently caught in a somewhat narrow canyon. . The remainder of the party was further in the canyon and located in a place where they were able to move to higher ground to avoid the tremendous flood waters. Seven members of the party i were in the rear. One of the I members, Kendall Webb, had Just gone to higher ground to take some pictures near the entrance en-trance of the narrow canyon. The other six of the group were Just going into the canyon when Webb spotted the flood coming. He called to the other members hut only one boy, Douglas Childs, responded and Webb bruugnt him to higher ground. The other five were apparently caught by the waters in the canyon. can-yon. Three bodies were recovered on Monday by searchers. Thev were Walter J. Scott, Paul Ray" Nich-oles Nich-oles and Steven Gene Florence. Still missing from the 26-mem-ber party are Alvin Dunyon Nelson Nel-son and Frank Wilson Johnson. As the flood receded the advanced ad-vanced members of the party hiked out of the canyon and Mr. Webb and young Childs also hiked hik-ed out. Search groups from throughout through-out southern Utah were called in to help in the search for the missing persons and three of the " bodies were reclaimed Monday. As indicated, search for the remaining re-maining two members of the party, was called off temporarily. temporari-ly. Search groups will re-enter the canyon and the Virein River be low the park at a later date. Law enforcement officers and members of the Iron County Jeep Patrol were called in to aid in the search and other persons from this area also assisted In the search. Pains mAaeiiwAst pp7CXi mately one and one-third inches brought on the flash flood which was reported by some old timers of the area as the largest they had ever seen coming through the Narrows. Crest of the flood reached heights of 14 feet in some of the narrower gorges of the canyon. |