Boy Scouts rescued from rough patch in Utah river, then finish the trip — in handmade canoes

CEDAR CITY, Utah — Floating down the Green River in their handmade canoes, a group of Boy Scouts from Cedar City ran into a rough patch.

Brandon Jones is one of the Boy Scout leaders and said they made this trip with Boy Scouts three years ago with no issues. This time they found themselves in a “tough” situation.

“We were just trying to keep them all together,” Jones said.

The group of boys, ages 13 to 18, came down into the Green River where the current was separating them, and one of the boys fell out of his canoe.

“He flipped it and it filled up with water,” Jones said. “He didn’t have the strength to flip it back up by himself.”

Another Boy Scout ran to a local farm, calling for help.

Deputies with Emery County Sheriff’s Office rushed to the rescue and found the group working together.

Jones said the boys even helped the deputies collect driftwood while they continued down the river.

“We were grateful for their help,” Jones said. “It probably saved us about 2 hours on the river that day.”

Once the canoes were flipped upright again, Jones said the boys continued on their way. The trip required canoeing and camping for a few days, and the boys made it all in their handmade canoes.

“This is about turning young men into men and giving them life experiences,” Jones said. “I think they learned some valuable lessons that when life throws you some curveballs and you can get by.”

The scout group arrived home in Cedar City Saturday evening.

The worst part of the trip, Jones said, was the mosquitos.

This story was first published by fellow CNN affiliate KSTU. It is used here with permission.