Summit County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Skyler Talbot said the accident happened the afternoon of July 8.
The adult male victim was on a survey project for the Utah Division of Natural Resources and Utah State University about 1.5 miles north of Beaver Lake, east of Oakley and west of Mirror Lake Highway. He was affiliated with USU and part of a larger group.
“The horse was going down a decline and sort of tried to regain its balance and reared backwards just enough to where he fell back over the horse, and then the horse continued falling back and fell on top of him,” Talbot explained.
The group placed a satellite phone call to the Utah Department of Public Safety, which dispatched a helicopter. DPS hoisted the man from where he fell and transferred him to a medical helicopter which took him to a hospital in Salt Lake City.
“The injuries he sustained were non-life threatening — a few broken ribs and deep bruising,” Talbot said. “Actually had the opportunity to speak to him on the phone. He was recovering, recovering well.”
The horse was uninjured, Talbot said, and walked out on its own.
Summit County Search and Rescue refueled the DPS helicopter so it could return to its base in Salt Lake City.
According to Talbot, the county’s mobile fuel trailer is commonly deployed during air rescue operations because helicopters can carry a limited amount of fuel into the backcountry.
“So one very useful resource that we have with the sheriff's office is we have a trailer. We house it in our Kamas Search and Rescue building,” he said. “We keep it stocked at all times with fuel for these helicopters.”
That allows helicopters to stay on scene or search for longer. Summit County Search and Rescue volunteers did not go to the site of the accident during the rescue July 8.
