Category: CNN Regional

By Chris Reed

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    MOAB, Utah (KSTU) — A seasoned hiker’s worst nightmare became reality Sunday morning when he found himself trapped knee-deep in quicksand during a solo trek through Arches National Park.

“Before this trip, I honestly thought quicksand was more of a folklore or a legend,” Austin Dirks said.

The experienced desert hiker, who has logged thousands of miles on trails, was navigating the upper end of Courthouse Wash around an hour before sunrise when his left leg broke through what appeared to be solid ground.

“I was able to pull it out, and then I shifted all my weight to my right foot. And I sunk up to the knee,” Dirks said. “It felt like I had stepped into concrete, and then it hardened around my leg. I couldn’t even move it a millimeter.”

Contrary to cartoon depictions, Dirks discovered the reality of quicksand differs dramatically from Hollywood portrayals.

“How it’s depicted on TV is nothing like it is in real life,” he explained. “The human body is more buoyant than the quicksand, so you’ll never sink to above your head.”

Real quicksand is more like thick, slimy mud than a sand trap. While online hiking experts often recommend leaning back to distribute weight, Dirks faced an additional threat: hypothermia in the slot canyon’s frigid conditions with temperatures in the 20s.

“It’s cold at night, and to spend it in cold water for a long period of time, that has serious consequences,” said Scott Sollee with Grand County Search and Rescue.

Quicksand rescues are extremely rare, according to Sollee, although hiker rescues represent their most common calls. He recalls only one other quicksand incident — a woman trapped for 13 hours in July 2014 on the same trail.

Jacob Paul, with the Washington County Search and Rescue team, told FOX 13 News that he doesn’t recollect ever dealing with a quicksand rescue there. In February 2019, a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter team and rangers in Zion National Park assisted a man stuck in quicksand there.

Dirks endured a two-hour ordeal stuck at a 45-degree angle, which he compared to bending forward in a ski boot. His preparation proved crucial: a GPS satellite messenger allowed him to alert authorities with his exact location.

“I realized that that’s the closest I’ve ever come to dying. I owe them my life,” he said.

The rescue highlighted the importance of proper emergency communication devices. Sollee emphasized that hikers should use their satellite devices immediately rather than attempting to relocate for cell service.

“We’ve had some people have those in-reach devices and not use them, and then go somewhere to call 911 and then leave that area. If you need to call 911, hit the SOS button on your satellite device if you have it, because that will tell us exactly where you’re at,” Sollee said.

Both Sollee and Dirks noted the rarity of such incidents makes prevention advice limited, though they recommend awareness when traversing areas with visible ground moisture.

The best preparation involves having backup plans: hiking with companions, informing others of your route, and carrying location devices for emergencies.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By DeAndria Turner

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    LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WLKY) — A Louisville mother accused in a decades-old abduction case is back in Kentucky and facing new charges, and the child at the center of the case, missing since 1983, has finally been found.

What was once a cold case has become a warm reunion.

A story of reuniting, forgiveness, and moving forward.

For 43 years, Joe Newton waited for the moment he feared would never come.

“She’s always been in my heart,” Newton said. “I can’t explain that moment of that woman walking in and getting to put my arms back around my daughter.”

He last saw Michelle when she was just 3 years old.

The last time WLKY spoke to Newton was in 1986. At that point, he had spent three years searching for his daughter.

In 1983, Joe and his wife, Deborah Lee Newton, were preparing to move to Georgia. Deborah left early with their daughter. When Joe arrived, they were gone.

For more than four decades, no one in the Newton family had answers.

“I’ve missed them so much. I didn’t even know she was alive,” said Michelle’s aunt.

In 2005, Michelle was removed from the national missing-child database. The case was re-examined in 2015 at a family member’s request, and a grand jury re-indicted Deborah Newton the following year.

According to investigators, the case finally cracked open this year after a Crime Stoppers tip in Florida.

Newton is now charged with custodial interference. Investigators noted that felony custodial kidnapping carries no statute of limitations.

She appeared in court on Monday.

Chief Deputy Steve Healey said one person’s courage made the difference:

“For an individual to have the courage to come up and say, ‘I saw this. I believe this is who you’re looking for,’ you’re helping a victim and a victim’s family so much,” Healey said.

Two weeks ago, Michelle came home from work to find police at her door.

“You’re not who you think you are. You’re a missing person. You’re Michelle Marie Newton,” she was told.

In one moment, her entire identity shifted.

In the next, she learned she had a family who never stopped searching, and a father who never stopped loving her.

When she finally met Joe again, he was waiting for her on the porch.

“I wouldn’t trade that moment,” Joe said. “It was just like seeing her when she was first born. It was like an angel.”

Michelle said their focus now is healing.

“My intention is to support them both through this and trying to navigate and help them both just wrap it up so that we can all heal and hopefully, you know, there’s just apologies and start healing,” she said.

“It’s still hard to believe we actually got her back in our lives again,” her aunt said. “And it’s a sweet ending.”

Joe said he has had two miracles this year. First, a heart transplant is the reason why he’s still here. Then, getting to reunite with his daughter.

Deborah is expected back in court Jan. 23.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Daniel Macht

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    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) — Two people suffered burn injuries while working on site at a Sacramento apartment complex on Tuesday, fire officials said.

Sacramento Fire Capt. Justin Sylvia said three workers were painting a unit in the 5400 block of Carlson Drive with spray primer when they heard a loud explosion and saw a flash of fire that quickly went away.

Two of the men were burned, with one of them being taken to the hospital for burns to his hands and face. He was said to be in stable condition.

Crews who arrived to the complex in the River Park neighborhood saw windows blown out but no fire.

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By Graham Cawthon, Kirsten Maselka

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    ATLANTA (WJCL) — Georgia will equip every public school in the state with opioid overdose reversal kits under a new initiative announced Thursday by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and the Georgia Department of Education.

Funded with opioid settlement dollars administered by the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust, the Georgia Overdose Response Partnership will supply more than 2,300 public schools with naloxone (Narcan), personal protective equipment and information to request refills.

“The opioid settlement funds give us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to turn tragedy into prevention,” DBHDD Commissioner Kevin Tanner said in a statement. “Putting overdose reversal kits in every Georgia school is a practical, compassionate use of those dollars.”

The initiative supports Senate Bill 395, known as Wesley’s Law, sponsored by Sen. Clint Dixon. The law authorizes schools to obtain and administer opioid antagonists and grants immunity to staff who act in good faith during an emergency.

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to protecting Georgia’s students and ensuring every school is prepared to respond in an emergency,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said.

Distribution began in fall 2025, with an initial phase serving nine of the state’s 16 Regional Education Service Agencies and covering more than half of public schools in metro Atlanta, southwest Georgia and central Georgia. The remaining RESAs are scheduled to receive kits in spring 2026, completing statewide coverage.

Georgia’s RESAs will host “stuff-the-box” events where school and community leaders can help assemble the kits.

DBHDD and GOCAT will ship the kits and protective equipment using settlement funds. DBHDD is partnering with the Georgia Harm Reduction Coalition to distribute Narcan supplied through the Teva Pharmaceutical settlement. GaDOE and DBHDD’s Community Service Boards will provide training resources and best practices to help school staff recognize and respond to suspected overdoses.

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By KHBS KHOG Staff

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    BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KHBS, KHOG) — About 15 volunteers with Mew Cat Rescue built 96 insulated winter cat shelters over the weekend for free distribution to residents caring for outdoor cats.

The shelters, made with containers donated by American Plastics Company, are designed to withstand winter weather and retain heat.

Organizers say each shelter is prefilled with straw and should only be used with straw, which repels moisture and prevents hypothermia. They recommend checking shelters regularly, placing openings away from the wind and, if available, safely positioning a heat lamp nearby. The lids are red but can be spray-painted black once fully dry.

Shelters are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limit of two per person unless residents maintain a large colony.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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