Officials: Family stranded 2 days on Utah river is rescued

Authorities say a family of four has been safely rescued from the banks of a southern Utah river two days after their boats capsized after hitting high water and boulders.

Utah’s Department of Public Safety said Monday that a mother, father and two teenage girls were rescued from the Escalante River on Sunday after a DPS helicopter searching for a missing kayaker spotted the family desperately waving their arms.

DPS spokeswoman Marissa Cote said the family had been stranded since Friday. She did not know how they survived two days but said the parents and the daughters, ages 13 and 17, did not need medical attention.

Cote did not have details about the family’s names or whether they live in Utah.

She says the missing kayaker that prompted the original search was later found safe.