Near-naked man rescued from rocky Spanish Fork Canyon slope

A man is recovering after he reportedly took heroin and got stranded overnight in Spanish Fork Canyon, with barely any clothes on.

Just before 8 a.m. Sunday, Utah County dispatchers got a call from a citizen who heard the 39-year-old man yelling for help near the irrigation reservoir at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. Utah County Sheriff's deputies went to the area and also heard his calls for help.

"A deputy climbed a hillside and found the man, who was clad only in stocking feet and a T-shirt," according to a news release. The man told deputies he wandered around after using heroin — deputies found drug paraphernalia with his clothes that supported this, the release adds.

He had been in the area since at least Saturday night, eventually got stranded on a steep, rocky slope and did not feel safe trying to get down the hillside, according to the release. A search and rescue crew secured him in a litter and brought him to an ambulance.

He had minor scrapes and abrasions and was suffering from dehydration and hypothermia, according to the release. He was transported to Mountain View Hospital in Payson for treatment and is expected to recover.

He may face charges related to the drug paraphernalia, the release adds.

mmcfall@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mikeypanda