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Two kayakers rescued at Great Salt Lake

Posted at 10:21 PM, Sep 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-20 09:17:31-04

GREAT SALT LAKE STATE PARK, Utah — Two kayakers were rescued from Great Salt Lake early Friday morning after search and rescue spent hours looking for them.

According to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, the two men in their 20s did not have life jackets. Both were located by a helicopter, and one was picked up by the helicopter while a boat rescued the second.

Both men were rescued by about 2 a.m. Friday and transported to hospitals to be evaluated. A press release Utah State Parks indicates they were "responsive to rescue personnel" but did not provide specific details on their conditions beyond that.

Tweets from the Sheriff's Office indicate the kayakers set out from Antelope Island on Wednesday, and they planned to visit two other islands, then come back to Antelope Island. At about 3 p.m. Thursday, the kayakers lost sight of each other.

A third member of their party was able to make it to the northwest shore of Antelope Island and call for help around 7 p.m. Thursday.

The Utah Department of Public Safety dispatched two helicopters to aid in the search.

As of 10:15 p.m. Thursday, 20 mph wind was creating seven-foot waves and the temperature on the lake was dropping.