A teenager fell almost 100 feet into the Grand Canyon after moving out of the way for people to take photos, in one of the latest cases of extreme falls at national parks this summer.
Wyatt Kauffman, 13, survived after tumbling 70 to 100 feet below the park’s Bright Angel Point Trail, and was left with nine broken vertebrae, a ruptured spleen, a collapsed lung, a concussion, a broken hand and a dislocated finger, the Associated Press reported.
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“I was up on the ledge and was moving out of the way so other people could take a picture,” Wyatt told Phoenix TV channel KPNX. “I squatted down and was holding on to a rock. I only had one hand on it,” he said. “I lost my grip and started to fall back.”
The National Park Service said in a statement that the Grand Canyon’s search and rescue team responded to a call Tuesday that a visitor had fallen over the edge on the North Rim. Once at the scene, officials determined that helicopter rescue was “not feasible” and used a rope to raise the boy to the rim.
It took nearly 40 emergency personnel and around two hours to retrieve Wyatt and fly him to a Las Vegas hospital for treatment, KPNX reported. He was discharged Saturday, the AP reported.
A TikToker hit a golf ball into the Grand Canyon. She now faces charges.
Bright Angel Point is the most popular viewpoint on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim and is famous for its backdrop of jagged ridges and sprawling sunsets. The area is a hit with hikers, and the National Park Service warns that some parts of the trail are “exposed to the elements,” “narrow,” and “surprisingly steep.”
The Park Service also advises visitors to stay on designated walkways and keep a distance of at least six feet from the edge of the rim.
Wyatt says he does not remember much about his two-hour rescue. “I just remember somewhat waking up and being in the back of an ambulance and a helicopter and getting on a plane,” he told KPNX.
His father, Brian Kauffman, was at home in North Dakota when he learned of his son’s accident.
“It was one of the most heart-wrenching phone calls I’ve ever had, to be honest with you,” he told KPNX, thanking first responders for saving the teen. “We’re just lucky we’re bringing our kid home in a car in the front seat instead of in a box.”
Several fatal falls have been recorded at national parks across the United States this month alone.
On Aug. 1, a 66-year-old hiker was found dead at Arches National Park in Utah. On Friday, a woman fell to her death while hiking in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. On Saturday, a woman died and a man was seriously injured after they fell 300 feet at Rocky Mountain National Park.
In July, a free-solo climber died after falling 500 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park. The 26-year-old lost her grip as she attempted to scale the Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge, The Washington Post reported at the time.
The Grand Canyon can be particularly dangerous in the summer months, when desert air and fluctuating temperatures can bring perilous condition that quickly dehydrate and exhaust hikers. Carrying water can mean the difference between life and death.
At the Grand Canyon, more than 300 calls for service are made each year, the National Park Service estimates, noting that incidents range from falls to heat related illnesses.
A recent heat wave sweeping southern and western U.S. states prompted the park, which was facing highs of 118 degrees Fahrenheit, to ask visitors not to hike into the canyon between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m..
In June, the New York Post ranked the Grand Canyon the deadliest national park in the United States, with the highest numbers of deaths and missing person reports since 2018, citing data obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request.
Tourist falls into Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon while trying to take a picture
Last week President Biden visited the Grand Canyon, where he designated a vast area of the region as a national monument to safeguard it from uranium mining and to honor tribal nations.
“Today marks a historic step in preserving the majesty of this place,” he said.
Wyatt Kauffman, 13, survived after tumbling 70 to 100 feet below the park’s Bright Angel Point Trail, and was left with nine broken vertebrae, a ruptured spleen, a collapsed lung, a concussion, a broken hand and a dislocated finger, the Associated Press reported.
Travel better with news, tips and guides that make you feel like a local wherever you go. In your inbox, Thursdays.
“I was up on the ledge and was moving out of the way so other people could take a picture,” Wyatt told Phoenix TV channel KPNX. “I squatted down and was holding on to a rock. I only had one hand on it,” he said. “I lost my grip and started to fall back.”
The National Park Service said in a statement that the Grand Canyon’s search and rescue team responded to a call Tuesday that a visitor had fallen over the edge on the North Rim. Once at the scene, officials determined that helicopter rescue was “not feasible” and used a rope to raise the boy to the rim.
It took nearly 40 emergency personnel and around two hours to retrieve Wyatt and fly him to a Las Vegas hospital for treatment, KPNX reported. He was discharged Saturday, the AP reported.
A TikToker hit a golf ball into the Grand Canyon. She now faces charges.
Bright Angel Point is the most popular viewpoint on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim and is famous for its backdrop of jagged ridges and sprawling sunsets. The area is a hit with hikers, and the National Park Service warns that some parts of the trail are “exposed to the elements,” “narrow,” and “surprisingly steep.”
The Park Service also advises visitors to stay on designated walkways and keep a distance of at least six feet from the edge of the rim.
Wyatt says he does not remember much about his two-hour rescue. “I just remember somewhat waking up and being in the back of an ambulance and a helicopter and getting on a plane,” he told KPNX.
His father, Brian Kauffman, was at home in North Dakota when he learned of his son’s accident.
“It was one of the most heart-wrenching phone calls I’ve ever had, to be honest with you,” he told KPNX, thanking first responders for saving the teen. “We’re just lucky we’re bringing our kid home in a car in the front seat instead of in a box.”
Several fatal falls have been recorded at national parks across the United States this month alone.
On Aug. 1, a 66-year-old hiker was found dead at Arches National Park in Utah. On Friday, a woman fell to her death while hiking in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. On Saturday, a woman died and a man was seriously injured after they fell 300 feet at Rocky Mountain National Park.
In July, a free-solo climber died after falling 500 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park. The 26-year-old lost her grip as she attempted to scale the Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge, The Washington Post reported at the time.
The Grand Canyon can be particularly dangerous in the summer months, when desert air and fluctuating temperatures can bring perilous condition that quickly dehydrate and exhaust hikers. Carrying water can mean the difference between life and death.
At the Grand Canyon, more than 300 calls for service are made each year, the National Park Service estimates, noting that incidents range from falls to heat related illnesses.
A recent heat wave sweeping southern and western U.S. states prompted the park, which was facing highs of 118 degrees Fahrenheit, to ask visitors not to hike into the canyon between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m..
In June, the New York Post ranked the Grand Canyon the deadliest national park in the United States, with the highest numbers of deaths and missing person reports since 2018, citing data obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request.
Tourist falls into Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon while trying to take a picture
Last week President Biden visited the Grand Canyon, where he designated a vast area of the region as a national monument to safeguard it from uranium mining and to honor tribal nations.
“Today marks a historic step in preserving the majesty of this place,” he said.
