| Show Camping Expert Explains Fire Tactics Here A boy scout scout camping expert from rom Salt Lake City followed his own advice Sunday evening and andin andin in n doing so touched off a huge manhunt and rescue teams from all 1111 branches of city and county emergency units Russell Duke Gannon of Salt lake City ed here by MeK McC Mc Mc- K C e a n Construction company building Mountain View subdivision subdivision vision homes started it all when he built a fire on the 1000 foot cliffs southwest of Moab The fire tire was seen by hundreds of residents of ot the city and was mistaken for fora a distress signal The fire was first spotted by bya a Moab couple returning from Monticello on Highway They were Ed Wheeler and Martha Shields who reported th the fire to Archie Swenson Moab chief of police and squadron commander of the Civil Air Patrol He the he CAP and then notified John Stocks Grand county sheriff Swenson then went to the towering tow ering cliffs and there sought to establish establish establish es es- es- es signal contact with those atop the escarpment He lie fired three shots from his gun and received received received re re- three shots In to answer the accepted signal of persons in dis dIs- dis- dis tress A climbing party composed of Sheriff John Stocks Deputy Eldon Eldon El- El don Borreson Bud Dud Johnson and Wally Corbin star sta star star-d a d the steep climb a few minutes later armed with water medical supplies and other emergency equipment A talkie walkie-talkie was rushed to the scene by the CAP and CAP armen sr ar men and cadets were standing by for call Also standing by in readiness was an ambulance from Turner Funeral Home After nearly two hours of slow and tedious climbing the rescue party reached a point Just below the fire tire from where Sheriff Stocks held a shouted conversation with the man atop the cliffs and learned all was well with him and in which Gannon Cannon had bad said he had built the fire tire to let his fellow workers know he was okay A few minutes later the feeble beam of a flashlight signaled the disgruntled climbers were starting the climb cUmb back down The bitter and foot sore rescuers reached the base about 1015 p. p m. m to report no rescue no emergency and aching legs Stocks left a canteen of ot water on the trail down for Gannon and the marooned man made his own descent at dawn Monday without fanfare or welcoming committee Gannon told newsmen Monday that he had gone on the cliffs on a what the country was like on the Sunday outing to get a look at tops of the cliffs overlooking the tile project on which he had been working He attempted to get gei sown cown over the Colorado river but found cliffs cUffs too steep so so set out to reach the Kane Creek road mad but again was blocked by cliffs cUffs Returning to the east and the edge of ot the cliffs overlooking the city he found himself out of water and in n rough country with darkness falling failing He then called on advice that he had given young campers many times and decided that Instead of trying the dan dangerous rous descent he built bulit a fire t to signal tignal that he was safe He lie is district camping director director director di di- rector of Salt Lake City Boy Scouts He lie told of firing perhaps a dozen dozen doz doz- en rounds of in response to signals from the police chief a and d to show his position Then he said he walked the fire several times to that he was safe Gannon reported me discovery on the cliffs cUffs of an archeological bridge in the rock formations as IS some solace and reward for his ex ex- |
