See Desperate Hikers Swept In Flood At Zion National Park

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Several hikers formed a human chain across a river swollen with flash flood waters in Utah, and one of them said Thursday it was powerful seeing people help each other through the dangerous situation.

Jhonatan Gonzalez said rainfall upstream transformed the calm water on a hot and sunny day at Utah's red-rock Zion National Park into a waist-high rushing river on Saturday morning.

"There's no way out you just have to go through," said Gonzalez, 40, of Maui, Hawaii.

He and a group of about 15 family members turned back when they saw the current become strong during a river hike known as The Narrows, but they soon reached an area where the water was higher. (For more information on this and other Across Utah stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

When the FLASH FLOOD hit. With the family at Zion National Park. In the narrows. My brothers my nephew and I while helping others cross the river. People were panicking but it was a fun adventure and others started helping. Good vibes great experience for all of us @yasirfinkenthal @jaredfinkenthal @victorsvillar @ixchelmybelle @eunicefinkenthal @paigefinkenthal #flashflood #thenarrows #zionnationalpark #adventure #crecida
A post shared by Jhonatan Glz (@23boxer) on Aug 2, 2017 at 2:23pm PDT

Gonzalez and his brothers originally stood in the water together to help several younger family members ranging from 1 to 8 years old cross the river.

Strangers joined their line as they continued to help dozens of other hikers cross the river choked with logs and debris.

Gonzalez paused briefly to take a video of the effort with his cellphone.

"It felt good. It was a chilling experience. It almost made me feel teary, just seeing how everyone was helping each other," he said.

Zion closed the area later that afternoon after a flash-flood warning. Ranger John Marciano says rangers work hard to warn people to watch weather reports and be careful of fast-moving water. Anyone caught in risky weather should get to high ground immediately, especially in the river where rocks can quickly become treacherously slippery.

Flash floods at Zion have proved fatal in the past, including a devastating 2015 flood in a deep, narrow canyon that killed seven people.

In Arizona, dozens of hikers have been rescued from floodwaters in recent weeks. Ten people died in mid-July when a sudden rainstorm thundered through a tranquil swimming area about 100 miles (161 kilometers) northeast of Phoenix.

Helping my mom. Trying to walk through The Narrows at Zion National Park back to the trails. closed the hike while we were a couple miles up the river, due to the flash flood. Everyone made it back safe. Just super muddy and with a good exciting fun experience. @eunicefinkenthal @ixchelmybelle @yasirfinkenthal @jaredfinkenthal @paigefinkenthal #flashflood #thenarrows #zionnationalpark #adventure #familyadvebture #crecida
A post shared by Jhonatan Glz (@23boxer) on Aug 2, 2017 at 4:18pm PDT

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Associated Press

Photo credit: Jhonatan Gonzalez via AP