06/20/2026
On Wednesday, June 17, around 10:30 p.m., Mesa County Search & Rescue was called out to respond to a report of a lost horseback rider in the Kannah Creek area.
MCSAR teams responded to the Kannah Creek Trailhead and headed into steep, off-trail terrain choked with thick scrub oak brush, where the rider was believed to be located.
As the search progressed, teams pushed through dense vegetation, expanding their efforts into the surrounding drainages. They eventually located the subject, along with their horse and dog, safe but stranded.
After checking on their wellbeing and providing water and support for both the rider and the animals, MCSAR safely guided the group through the thick brush, since no established route existed, back to the nearest trail.
Once on the trail, teams carefully monitored the subject and animals during the descent, pausing frequently for rest and hydration given the long hours already spent in the backcountry. The rider, horse and dog all made it out safely alongside MCSAR.
