This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A bridge over the rain-swollen Paria River in southcentral Utah, which partially collapsed this weekend and sent an Italian tourist couple's car plunging into the water, remained closed Monday.
The Garfield County Sheriff's Office said engineers were assessing the damage from the collapse, which was blamed on heavy Saturday storms and floodwaters that undercut the road.
There was no immediate estimate for when repairs could be made to the primary route to the popular Kodachrome Basin State Park, which was closed on Monday.
Sussana Dursi, 47, and 62-year-old Roberto Bellocci, were driving back to their Kodachrome campsite about 9 p.m. Saturday when the asphalt gave way, plunging their car into the river.
The sheriff's office said the vehicle was carried about 150 yards downstream before toppling onto its top. Dursi and Bellocci escaped through a back window and climbed onto the wreckage still out of the water. A short time later an approaching motorist noticed and reported the road collapse, and an arriving deputy heard the couple calling for help in the darkness.
Deputy Clint Pearson reportedly lit up the area with a spotlight, located the stranded duo, and called in the county's search and rescue unit to safely retrieve the Italians by boat. The couple were treated for hypothermia at Garfield Memorial Hospital and later released.
Authorities also evacuated campers at the park via a temporary bridge, then closed down the route.
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