The body of a missing kayaker was recovered from Echo Reservoir early Wednesday morning after an hours-long overnight search.

The kayaker, identified as 56-year-old Steven Marc Gines from Salt Lake County, was originally reported missing by his adult son around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, about an hour after he was last seen, according to a press release from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office and Summit County Search and Rescue immediately responded to Echo Reservoir to search for the man, with assistance from the Utah Department of Natural Resources and Wasatch County Search and Rescue.

Crews had found the man’s empty kayak by 7 p.m. on Tuesday and continued to use sonar technology to comb the water for the next six hours.

The man’s body was found and recovered around 1:30 a.m.

The investigation into the kayaker’s death is ongoing, and the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner is working on determining his official cause and manner of death.

“The Summit County Sheriff’s Office extends our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the victim and to all those affected by this tragic incident,” the department said. “We also extend our thanks to Wasatch County Search and Rescue, the Department of Natural Resources law enforcement, North Summit Fire District and all other partner agencies who assisted in the search and recovery effort.”

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With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, many Utahns are now looking ahead to the Christmas season. For families trekking onto public lands to cut down their own Christmas trees, however, Summit County Search and Rescue is urging caution, especially for visitors who aren’t used to driving in inclement conditions.

“If you at all can, do not go alone. Let someone know where you will be and be specific,” said Alan Siddoway, the search and rescue liaison for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. “We get a lot of calls of ‘My friend, my partner, my child hasn’t returned home,’ and we ask where they’ve gone and they say, ‘Well, around Mirror Lake,’ and that’s a very, very big area.”

A group of three adults and two children, including a 3-month-old baby, were stranded in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest last December when the family’s car went slightly off-road and became trapped in several inches of snow. The family was attempting to retrieve a Christmas tree in temperatures around 18 degrees. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded and rescued the family about 30 minutes after one of the adults called 911 with an Apple watch.

The search and rescue team responds to similar calls every year, according to Siddoway.

“The roads are in a transition or an in-between state wherein they may not have a closure or a hard gate closure across them, but they’re not passable,” Siddoway explained. “Folks will start up a road or drop into a canyon. Then, they discover that the snow’s deeper there, and they become stuck and need assistance.”

Siddoway also attributed issues to people “blindly trusting” their cell phones and GPS systems.

“If Alexa, Siri, Google Maps is telling you to drive up a snowmobile trail, use good common sense,” he said. “A lot of times, Google Maps will send you somewhere and when you get to a decision point where the road becomes, again, a snowmobile trail or snowpacked, you don’t have phone service to double check. We encourage people to use good common sense.”

Cell phones aren’t all bad, though — many smartphones now have the ability to use satellite and SOS communications to call 911, even when there’s no cell service, Siddoway said. That technology has made it easier for search and rescue teams to get information and communicate with stranded travelers.

“If you have a problem, contact us,” Siddoway said. “Any information that initially you can give our communications center is very helpful because we’re then able to plan and execute the appropriate response.”

Families also need to be careful with any equipment they bring to cut down Christmas trees, such as axes and chainsaws. Depending on weather conditions, a medical response could take hours, especially if an ambulance can’t make it through the backcountry and crews need to call in snowmobiles and toboggans, Siddoway said.

“Make sure you have water, make sure you have the ability to build a fire, make sure you have warm clothing and to include blankets, and especially if you’re taking small children in, make sure you’re very, very well prepared,” he said. “Don’t panic. When we receive notice that you need assistance, however that may come, we’re coming for you, but it just may take a while. During that time, in the interim, be prepared, have what you need to meet your needs until we can get to you.”

To cut down Christmas trees in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, visitors need the proper permit. Permits cost $20 and can be purchased at national forest offices or online at www.fs.usda.gov/main/uwcnf/passes-permits/forestproducts. Supply is limited this year compared to recent years, though, according to Siddoway – only half the number of permits are being sold in 2024 compared to 2023 because of the Yellow Lake Fire.

“Every time I talk about this team, I say how much we appreciate the men and women of Search and Rescue that dedicate their time, that are willing to get up and leave their Thanksgiving dinner to go out and assist someone who’s stuck or needs their assistance,” Siddoway said. “I always recognize them because I truly stand in awe, even after all these years, of the heart of a search and rescue team.”

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Proposition 18, a sales tax intended to fund emergency services in Summit County, appears to have passed based on preliminary general election results.

Strong support for the ballot initiative was evident, with around 74%, or 10,885 voters, in favor of the new sales tax as according to the latest results from Thursday. 

“It’s inspiring to see the tremendous support for our first responders! This is a fantastic day for the residents of Summit County and for the dedicated first responders who are always there when we need them, no matter the hour,” Friends of Summit County Search and Rescue said in a Facebook post. “Proposition 18 will very likely pass in a landslide vote!”

The nonprofit organized a campaign arguing for the ballot proposition included in a voter information pamphlet that the county distributed. There wasn’t an argument submitted against it.

Summit County officials said the new sales tax would help offset the impacts of tourism, balancing the 2025 budget by freeing up money for other programs. It was seen as a way to avoid raising property taxes or reducing county services. 

Summit County Manager Shayne Scott and Chief Financial Officer Matt Leavitt projected a $7 million funding gap if the emergency services sales tax failed. Scott previously told the Summit County Council it would be a “heavy lift” to balance the budget if the proposition failed.

The sales tax is equivalent to one penny for every two dollars spent. Gas, groceries, prescription medications and a few other items are exempt.

Leavitt estimated more than 65% of the sales tax would be paid for by nonresidents. Tourists create 40% of the solid waste in the county and are responsible for 50% of fire department calls and 90% of search-and-rescue reports.

County staff saw the 0.5% tax as a way to reduce the impact on local residents and force tourists to pay their fair share. Visitors have an estimated $12 million impact on county services.

About $7 million would be generated through the new emergency services sales tax in 2025. Leavitt said that’s because collections would be for a partial year rather than a full year. Between $15 to $17 million could be generated starting in 2026.

The money will be used to pay for programs such as emergency medical services, search and rescue, law enforcement, fire protection, solid waste collection and the expansion of the Three Mile Landfill.

Around 26% of voters, or 3,914 votes, were against the proposition. 

The largest percentage of “no” votes came from the North Summit area, including Chalk Creek, Coalville, Hoytsville and Wanship as well as near Promontory, Peoa, Francis and the Uintas, according to precinct data.

Ari Ioannides, treasurer of the North Summit Fire District, said North Summit residents were less likely to support the proposition because they saw a more than 300% tax increase in December of 2022. 

The emergency services sales tax would not necessarily improve levels of service but rather allow the money the county already spends on those services to be spent elsewhere in order to cover the budget shortfall.

State law requires Summit County to provide EMS as an essential service through the municipal services fund and establish general criteria for services such as staffing two full-time, advanced EMTs on an ambulance. 

The tax would be in place for 10 years before another election is held. It could go up to 1%, but there would have to be a public vote if officials want to increase it past the half-percent rate.

The County Council said it would not pursue the Truth in Taxation process to raise property taxes if Proposition 18 passed.

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A 29-year-old man from Utah was found in good health Tuesday night in Kamas a day after he had been reported missing by his family and nearly a week since he was last seen in Weber Canyon, where he had parked his car.

Summit County Search and Rescue volunteers spotted him near the road just a short time after they had called off the search for the night while they were filling up on gas before heading home.

The search began on Monday when the man’s brother-in-law requested a welfare check from the Sheriff’s Office. The man’s vehicle had been parked at the family’s cabin in Weber Canyon since Thursday, Sept. 5.

Sgt. Skyler Talbot said a concerned neighbor alerted the family there hadn’t been any sign of the man for a few days. Deputies arrived and checked the scene but did not find him.

Search and Rescue, the Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol and drone team as well as a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter were deployed to help locate the man. The search was paused for the night after several hours with plans to resume in the morning.

About 20 to 25 personnel helped with the effort, covering ground on food, horseback and by air. The search was eventually called off for the night, and Search and Rescue volunteers were heading home from the Oakley area when they spotted a suspicious person walking past them at a gas station in Kamas.

They attempted to stop the man, but he initially ran. Mounted Patrol and the drone unit, who had returned to the Search and Rescue building, aided in the search. The man was eventually found near the Kamas City Park. He spoke with law enforcement and confirmed his identity as the missing man.

The man made several statements that indicated he may have been experiencing a mental health crisis. He was taken to a hospital for an evaluation. He was otherwise in good health.

Talbot said it wasn’t abnormal for the man to go hiking and camping for a few days. He was an experienced outdoorsman, familiar with the area and supplied with the right gear. 

The information provided to deputies and Search and Rescue led personnel to investigate out of an abundance of caution. Talbot expressed gratitude for the efforts of all involved in the search and rescue operation.

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