Dramatic rescue of 19 hikers from Utah canyon: 'This is what we train for'

After 17 members of a youth group and 2 adult leaders were stranded in a Utah slot canyon, a skilled helicopter rescue crew was able to rescue them safely.

"From when we picked up the first person to when we pulled up the 19th — 17 children and 2 adults — it took about an hour and 45 minutes." "This canyon is very difficult — it is not even for expert canyoneers." "This is the ‘real deal’ in Red Rock country. This area will chew you up … If you get caught in a slot canyon and there is a flood, it could be deadly." "If we didn’t have the helicopter, I don’t know if the outcome would’ve been the same."

One of the rescuers, Sgt. Nick Napierski with the Utah Department of Public Safety, told Fox News Digital in an interview that the group had been stuck for more than a day before help arrived.  

Garfield County Sheriff Danny Perkins said that aside from being tired and dehydrated, the group was OK — and he credits the skill of the helicopter rescue crew for the successful outcome of the operation to save all 19 people from a space they could not escape on their own.